"Tongass National Forest, which covers much of Southeast Alaska, is the largest national forest in the country, at over 16.7 million acres. It is home to old-growth red and yellow cedar, Sitka spruce, and Western Hemlock, and serves as an important habitat for wild Pacific salmon and grizzly bears. It is also a massive carbon sink. The forest has been protected from logging and road development since 2001, but recent changes in policy have opened it up to these activities, causing concern among environmentalists and local tribes."