Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska stands ancient and giant. Encompassing 17 million acres that stretch across thousands of islands and cliffs, including rivers surging with salmon, the Tongass is the nation’s largest national forest and the world’s largest remaining temperate rainforest. Its lands provide habitat to hundreds of species, including brown bears, whales, wolves, and bald eagles. And for the people of southeast Alaska, the Tongass provides food, recreation opportunities, and the foundation that keeps cultural richness alive.