 April 26, 2002
The agency would like to provide efficient passage for all life stages of fish at all stream flows and is working with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to prioritize replacement of the problem structures. By the end of this year 110 structures will have been replaced or be under contract for replacement. With an annual budget of between $1.5 and $2.0 million, the Forest Service plans to address 50 sites a year. Since 1997, annual surveys on the Tongass National Forest that evaluate structures with respect to fish passage have been conducted cooperatively between the Forest Service, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Approximately 1,600 culverts have conditions that do not meet current fish passage criteria, which were developed after the roads were built. Preliminary results, based on a criterion that requires passage of juvenile fish approximately 98 percent of the year, suggest that up to 72 percent of culverts on salmon streams and 83 percent of culverts on resident trout streams do not fully meet the criteria. Despite the survey findings, the presence of salmon or steelhead has been verified above 66 percent of salmon streams with barrier culverts. Resident fish species have been verified above 72 percent of the resident fish streams identified with barrier culverts. Habitat surveys have found that approximately 70 percent of the problem culverts identified so far have less than 1/4 mile of fish habitat upstream of them. "This issue is important in Alaska because of the unparalleled salmon fisheries that exist here and their vital importance for subsistence, commercial, and sport fisheries," said Tom Puchlerz, Tongass National Forest Supervisor. "Fish and water quality are among our highest priorities on the Tongass and we appreciate the work of our cooperating agencies," he said. The Forest Service has traditionally spent nearly $1.0 million annually for projects to improve and enhance the fisheries resource and habitat. Examples of the fisheries enhancement work done on the Tongass are 35 fishpass projects that have provided or improved movement of fish into over 385 miles of stream and 4100 acres of lakes. Fish resources are vital to rural families and communities who rely on subsistence fisheries to meet basic food and cultural needs. Sport and commercial uses of these resources are critical elements of local and regional economies. The 10-year average commercial salmon harvest, attributed to production from the National Forests in Alaska, is 162 million pounds and is valued at over $100 million. For additional information, contact Ron Medel, Tongass National Forest Fisheries Biologist, at 907-228-6275 or rmedel@fs.fed.us.
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