|
Agreement
provides
roadmap for land
exchange
KETCHIKAN,
Alaska–The
U.S. Forest Service-Trust
Land
Exchange took
a another
step toward becoming
a reality
when representatives
from the
Forest Service and
Alaska Mental
Health Trust
Authority (The Trust) recently
signed
an Agreement to
Initiate (ATI). The
agreement
provides a roadmap to exchange
land between the Trust
Land
Office, which
manages lands for the
Alaska Mental
Health Trust, and the
Forest Service.
The ATI
is similar to
a business
plan and
illustrates the land
exchange process.
The Forest
Service
would take over the
management of approximately
18,000 acres
of Trust land
adjacent to the communities of
Juneau, Petersburg,
Wrangell, Sitka,
and Ketchikan. In
exchange,
up to 21,000 acres
of National
Forest System lands would be conveyed to the Trust. “The
signing
of the
ATI is a
milestone in a
lengthy 10-year
discussion process,”
said John Morrison,
Acting Executive Director
for the Trust
Land
Office.
“The administrative
land exchange proposal was developed in
collaboration with the Alaska
Mental
Health
Trust Authority
(The Trust),
Forest
Service, and variety
of stakeholders
and communities
throughout Southeast
Alaska.” Although a
federal
land exchange
can be
a time-consuming
and arduous
process, the Tongass
National
Forest supervisor calls this
collaborative exchange
a win for
all involved. “The
lands that the Trust wants to convey
to us are located
adjacent to several
Southeast Alaska
communities,”
Forest Supervisor Earl
Stewart
explained. “The
transfer could allow us to
increase recreational opportunities for
forest
users. It also
could
enhance and complement the use
of areas
that are
already being
managed for the public.”
The lands that
would be conveyed to the
Trust are
located in
areas more suitable for
development, said Stewart.
“The National
Forest
System lands are
not located in scenic
view-
sheds and are comprised
of uneven-aged
forests so the
Trust would have a
better opportunity
to manage
those areas.” John echoed the
Tongass
supervisor’s
remarks. “We are
committed to
fulfillment of the
mandate to
generate income, from Trust
lands, to improve
the lives and
circumstance of Trust beneficiaries,”
said Morrison.
“Our goal is to utilize
forest and other
resources managed
in perpetuity to
provide healthy
ecosystems,
strengthen local
community social
structure; and
regionally, generate
robust, diversified economies.” The
ATI is the
beginning of the land
exchange process. The general public
and
forest users will
have a
chance to
voice their desires
and
determine if the exchange
will be in the public
interest
through the
National Environmental Policy
Act,
or NEPA, process. “The
ATI will
serve as a
general
guide,” said
Lands
Specialist Hillary Woods, a member of
the Alaska
Lands Team for
the Chugach
and Tongass National
Forests.
“It is an important first
step that kick
starts the exchange process
and
begins to move it
forward, but there
is more work to be
done including
public scoping
and
involvement, NEPA
analysis, environmental reporting,
final
boundary line survey,
final title
commitments, and
appraisal services.” For
more information, call
Tongass National Forest
Partnership & Public
Affairs Staff
Officer Gregory
“Kent” Cummins at
907-228-6201 or
e-mail him at
gregorykcummins@xxxxxxxxx.
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