Tongass National Forest-The Truth About Tongass, July, 2007 National Geographic Magazine
Alaska's southeast is a wilderness of mountains, glaciers and thousands of islands. It is home to Tongass, the largest national forest in the U.S. and 30 percent of old growth temperate rainforest left in the world. Rich resources lure people to Alaska for jobs in fishing and logging. Tourism is the fastest growing industry with the draw of landscapes with snow-capped mountains, waterfalls and abundant wildlife. Native communities and logging towns depend on salmon and richness of the land.
-

A researcher navigates through driving rain on...
-

Fog covers a sheer bank of conifers along the...
-

A black bear shakes water from his head while...
-

Aerial views of fog lifting over the Thorne...
-

A remnant of logging's heyday is the annual...
-

More than 5,000 miles of roads are carved into...
-

LeConte Glacier is in the Stikine Icefield, one...
-

Morning snow clings to tree branches along the...
-

Hiker climbs through tunnel in melting...
-

Tourists are drawn to the beauty of Alaska and...
-

In spite of the 200 inches of rain the area...
-

Wedding kiss begins the celebration at a...
-

Crisp winter air clears over freshly...
-

Shirley Ecklund drives a boat off the coast of...
-

Father and daughter share a moment on their...
-

Crew of the Providence, a family fishing...
-

Exhausted cannery workers take a break during...
-

Strong winds blow snow across the craggy peaks...
-

Water flows off the tail of a diving humpback...
-

As the tide recedes, a common sunstar...
-

A Common Sunstar, Crossaster papposus on...
-

The Taku River flows out of the Coastal Range...
-

Loggers and fishermen rank in the top two spots...
-

Timber is loaded for export onto a ship near...
-

Rain didn't dampen the spirits of native...
-

A couple dances to celebrate a win in the...
-

Sawdust covers a logger's boots at the H and L...
-

Friends come together at a general store that...
-

Several cars make a traffic jam on a rainy...
-

Drivers of four wheeling, off-road vehicles...
-

A young juvenile brown bear likely on his own...
-

A tranquilized brown bear creates a problem for...
-

Brown or grizzly bears as they are commonly...
-

Swede Ecklund stands on the dock on front of...
-

Holding his puppy, "Meatball," Marcus Lee hangs...
-

Bonfire on Prince of Wales Island Locals gather...
-

The group walks through the woods to a muskeg...
-

Morning reflections of islands and scenery on a...
-

Clear cut near Thorne Bay on Prince of Wales...
-

Tlinglet community leaders dressed in full...
-

Hemlock and spruce trees on central Chichagof...
-

A lone hikder views a 100 foot waterfall on...
-

Warm in her fur-lined cape, the bridge waits...
-

Rope swing provides entertainment during a...
-

Morning fog in Sitka Sound.
-

Eriophorum or cotton grass, a sedge in bloom in...
-

Dogs patiently wait in the back of a truck in...
-

Swede & Shirley Ecklund live in a float house...
-

Boat shuttles family to and island during a...
-

Views from Pearson's Pond
-

Equiped with crampons and emergency equipment,...
-

Children swing in the public playground in...
-

Fog lifts over islands and water soaked muskeg...
-

Hatchet toss at the annual logging show held in...
-

Fog lifts over islands and water soaked muskeg...
-

A timber faller works alone in the woods in...
-

Logging roads zag through a clear cut on...
-

Trees at the forest cabin on Moser Island. Ken...
-

A logging truck hauls timber to a site where it...
-

The big event is to climb a 65 foot pole at the...
-

Salmon swimming at a fish hatchery in Juneau.
-

Crew members to do the "fish walk," pushing...
-

Crew member unload their catch of Sockeye...
-

Fish dry on racks at Dog Point Fish Camp, a...
-

South Chilkat Mountains at sunset.
-

Glaciers are melting in the ice fields near...
-

Large hemlock and spruce trees on Chichagof...
-

A stump of a large tree with two springboard...
-

Lavern Beier and Rod Flynn of Fish and Game...
-

Rod Flynn and Lavern Beier of Fish and Game are...
-

Tourists from cruise ships docking in Juneau...
-

Aerial photographs of South Chilkat Mountains.
-

Views from ridges above Eaglecrest Ski Area on...
-

Tracy Arms, a retreating glacier on the east...
-

Hiker climbs onto perilous terrain below the...
-

Morning mist after a fresh snow in Juneau.
-

Morning snow on canoe at Pearson's Pond in Juneau.
-

Bald eagle carries his prey after diving into...
-

Stacked red cedar shingles. H and L Salvage...
-

Cruise ships arrive in Ketchikan to deposit...
-

Tourists wait to board the cruise ship after a...
-

Tourists wait for tours by plane or bus to see...
-

The Ketchikan dock is a flurry of activity when...
-

Wes Effingham, retired from logging in Coffman...
-

Roby and John Littlefield and Cassie boat to...
-

The annual logging show held in Thorne Bay on...
-

Ken Leghorn and daughter Yanna and Ken Rait and...
-

Beach combing on Moser Island at the forest...
-

Swede and Shirley Ecklund have lived 12 years...
-

Shirley Ecklund is taking apart a house in town...
-

Swede and Shirley Ecklund have lived 12 years...
-

Lois and Bob Morgan lived on a fishing boat for...
-

Lois and Bob Morgan lived on a fishing boat for...
-

Lunch time at a small family restaurant in...
-

Estuaries are shrouded in morning fog in the...
-

Morning snow on trees near Mendenhall Glacier.
-

Cross country skier and her dog glide across...
-

Karl Newkirk and Ann (Ricky) Arnsby - Glacier...
-

Wedding on the Mendenhall Glacier in the...
-

Wedding on the Mendenhall Glacier in the...
-

Wedding on the Mendenhall Glacier in the...
-

Wedding on the Mendenhall Glacier in the...
-

Photographer Melissa Farlow with a tranquilized...
