Forest Service weighs Tongass plan criticism

Timber harvesting advocates and opponents criticized the plan's analysis of timber demand. The Forest Service is required to meet that demand through timber sales.

Officials released the plan earlier this year after a decade of lawsuits and amendments. During that time, the Southeast timber industry has shrunk, with the closure of mills and loss of jobs. Some logging in the Tongass still occurs, as does logging on nearby Native corporation and state land.

Tongass forest officials must address the 14 appeals and send evidence by July 14 to Forest Service chief Gail Kimbell. She must decide by Nov. 11 whether the appeals are valid.

"We feel confident in the research and analysis that we've done that everything will be upheld," said Phil Sammon, a Tongass spokesman.

The objections range from timber groups arguing that more harvesting should be allowed, to wilderness advocates arguing for a reduction.

Alaska Forest Association, a timber industry group that has seen 90 percent of Southeast's timber jobs disappear in the past 15 years, said the plan overemphasized conservation.

The association holds views similar to those of the Southeast Conference, plus local governments from Ketchikan, Juneau, Wrangell, Craig, Coffman Cove, Prince of Wales and several chambers of commerce.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

But environmental groups such as the Alaska Wilderness League, Audubon Alaska and the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council said the Forest Service had sharply overestimated the demand for timber.

Those and other environmentalists' appeals said the plan would allow logging in important fish and wildlife habitat areas, or otherwise endanger habitat.

The National Resources Defense Council said the plan was wrong to say Clinton administration rules that severely restricts road-building in federal forests doesn't apply in the Tongass.

Also appealing was Sealaska Corp., southeast's regional Alaska Native corporation. Sealaska is concerned about which lands it will be able to select from the Tongass to fulfill its entitlement under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

Vancouver, British Columbia-based Niblack Mining Corp. appealed the plan's protection of certain watersheds near its gold and copper mine prospects, about 45 miles southeast of Craig.