Inside Passage Electric Cooperative
Inside Passage Electric Cooperative is a member-owned nonprofit utility serving Hoonah, Kake, Angoon and the Chilkat Valley in Southeast Alaska, communities that rely heavily on costly diesel power. The cooperative wants to build more hydroelectric and geothermal projects, but says the Roadless Rule blocks the road access those projects need.
The lawsuit
In September 2023, Pacific Legal Foundation sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture on behalf of the cooperative and the Alaska Power Association. The suit argues that the department lacks the authority to impose the Roadless Rule, including on the Tongass National Forest. Inside Passage Electric Cooperative v. U.S. Department of Agriculture remains active in federal court in Alaska.
The national rule
In August 2026, the Forest Service proposed rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule nationwide. Public comments closed Oct. 6, 2026. No final rule has been published.