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NEWS RELEASE Contact:
Kent Cummins, 907-228-6201 Tongass NF awards Big Thorne Stewardship Contract to local company
KETCHIKAN, Alaska–The Tongass National Forest awarded the Big Thorne Stewardship Integrated Resource Timber Contract today to Viking Lumber Company, located on Prince
of Wales Island.
The Big Thorne Stewardship project allows for the harvest of 97 million board feet of timber and includes five stewardship projects, such as trail renovations, stream restoration projects,
and young growth thinning to enhance wildlife habitat.
The Forest Service used its stewardship contracting authority in developing the Big Thorne project. Stewardship contracting helps achieve land management goals while meeting local and rural
community needs, including contributing to the sustainability of rural communities and providing a continuing source of local income and employment.
“Big Thorne is a critical project that is needed now to ensure the long-term success of our transition,” said Forest Supervisor Forrest Cole. “It is the key to a young-growth future. It allows
for a long-term supply of timber, provides stability and sustains jobs while giving local businesses an opportunity to retool to process young-growth timber and seek new markets.”
According to Forest Service officials, Viking’s proposal was the best value to the government. Viking demonstrated the best technical and financial ability to meet the diversity of projects
in the stewardship contract.
The Big Thorne project is an integral part of a bigger investment strategy effort to develop sustainable, diversified economies throughout Southeast Alaska. Components of the strategy
include renewable energy, forest restoration and young growth management, fisheries and mariculture, tourism and recreation, and subsistence. -end- This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately. |
