TONGASS
NATIONAL FOREST UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-FOREST SERVICE
News Release
Contact: Jason Anderson • 907-828-3304
• jasonanderson@xxxxxxxxx
Date: Sept.
1, 2009
Tongass Supervisor reaffirms decision
on Logjam after meeting with appellants
KETCHIKAN, Alaska – Tongass National
Forest Supervisor Forrest Cole last week met with appellants of the Logjam
timber sale in an effort to find common ground on the sale.
In June, Cole signed the Record of Decision
and Final Environmental Impact Statement for the project, located on the
Thorne Bay Ranger District, Prince of Wales Island. He selected Alternative
5, authorizing the harvest of 73 million board feet (mmbf) of timber over
the course of several years.
Local and national conservation groups
appealed the project in July, and asked the Forest Service to consider
a Conservation Alternative (CA) they had authored, which would cut the
allowed harvest for the sale in half.
After careful consideration of the CA
and other points discussed with the appellants, Cole said he found their
proposal does not provide enough near-term and long term stability to the
current timber industry because of the reduced volume. It also would not
meet the purpose of the 2008 Forest Plan Amendment—which sought to resolve
many of the conflicts over the Tongass timber program. Implementation of
the Logjam project is part of that plan.
Cole emphasized the Logjam timber sale
does not allow harvest in any roadless areas—a consideration long sought
by environmental groups. In addition, Cole’s other primary concerns regarding
the CA include the following:
* If the proposal was agreed to, a new
decision on the project would be necessary and a new appeal period would
be required
* This would not only negate any offering
of a timber sale in 2009, but also delay any offering till late 2010
* The remaining volume available under
the CA would require all of the 2010 field season to prepare for offer,
causing an operational delay of at least one additional year for the timber
industry
* That delay that would create further
hardship for loggers, mill owners, their employees and families, who already
face uncertainty because of an encumbered Tongass timber supply
Cole said he recognizes and appreciates
the hard work that the appellants put into their CA and the resolution
effort. And while last week’s meetings did not result in a resolution,
Cole said it provided valuable lessons to improve upon the collaborative
momentum of the past few years.
“I am convinced that starting these
discussions earlier in the process can yield better outcomes for all involved,”
said Cole. “I intend to facilitate stakeholder involvement earlier in
the development of current and future project level analyses to be more
proactive with those who are willing to spend so much time working together.”
Appeals will be reviewed by Regional
Forester Denny Bschor, the highest Forest Service authority in Alaska.
He is expected to issue a decision by September 24, 2009.
Tongass National Forest
Attachment:
090901_logjam_appeal_nr.doc
Description: Binary data
