John Schoen and the Tongass Roadless Rule

<p>In this episode, Kayla Fratt sits down with legendary Alaskan wildlife ecologist Dr. John Schoen to explore the past, present, and future of the Tongass National Forest.</p><p>With nearly five decades of boots-on-the-ground research, John’s groundbreaking work has reshaped our understanding of how logging practices directly impact black-tailed deer, salmon, and the broader temperate rainforest ecosystem. John dives deep into the complex history of timber politics, the vital distinction between old-growth and second-growth habitats, and why forests hold profound intrinsic value far beyond just timber and venison.</p><p>We also highly recommend checking out John’s book, <em>Tongass Odyssey</em>, to not only go more in depth on what&#39;s discussed today- but to also see some fantastic side by side photos of old growth and new growth forests to appreciate the drastic distinction between the two.</p><p><br></p>