Why the Tongass is Vital to Alaska’s Wildlife
The Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska is the world’s largest intact coastal temperate rainforest, covering 16.7 million acres. It is also the largest U.S. National Forest, and has been continually inhabited by Alaska Natives for over 10,000 years. The forest is the traditional homeland of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples, and the name Tongass is a transliteration of Taant'a Ḵwáan, a territory of the Tlingit people that includes Kichx̱áan, also known as Ketchikan.
The region is renowned for its old-growth trees (some over 800 years old!), abundant brown bears, massive salmon runs, and the highest concentration of bald eagles on earth.
Key Facts About the Tongass
Home to 70 percent of the wildlife species found in Alaska, and 40 percent of the bird species.
Drained by over 19,000 miles of streams and rivers, many sustaining immense populations of salmon.
Stores about 20 percent of all carbon sequestered in the entire national forest system.
Wildlife of the Tongass
Tongass Species Spotlights
