ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The federal government’s sweeping proposal to dismantle a 25-year-old conservation rule is drawing fierce resistance from local conservationists and Tribal groups, who say the decision threatens millions of acres of old-growth rainforest under the guise of wildfire mitigation. …The USDA argues the restrictions are a “one-size-fits-all” barrier that has hindered active forest management and worsened wildfire hazards. …However, local advocates are calling the USDA’s wildfire arguments completely detached from the reality of Southeast Alaska’s unique ecology. …Nathan Newcomer, Tongass Campaigner with the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, in an interview with Alaska’s News Source said “The threat of wildfire to Tongass is not an issue that I’m aware of or that I think anyone in southeast Alaska should be concerned about.” …The federal government’s proposed rescission has triggered immediate backlash from Southeast Alaska’s Tribal nations, who accuse the U.S. Department of Agriculture of bypassing required government-to-government consultation.