 Tongass, Chugach National Forests May 17, 2002
"The proposal to create a wilderness in the Chugach is reasonable on its face. However, until I see a clear signal from the Administration that it intends, as a matter of policy, to fully obey NILCA's 'no-more' wilderness provisions, I am not going to support Congressional action creating new Alaska wilderness," said Murkowski. Murkowski was responding to the release of the draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Tongass ordered by U.S. District Court Judge James Singleton, and the release of the final version of the Chugach Forest Land Management Plan revision. Concerning the Tongass, the Forest Service reviewed its 1997 Tongass Land Management Plan decision and concluded that the 6.635 million acres of Congressionally designated wilderness and protected lands adequately protected wildlife and tourism in the nation1s largest forest. "The Forest Service spent 13 years crafting the most recent Tongass plan. I'm glad this new review found they had fully protected the forest in that process. Of the nearly 17 million acres in the forest, only 676,000 acres are available for timber harvest over the next 100 years. Nearly 97 percent of the forest is fully protected. It is only reasonable that 3 percent be left for multiple-use, so that Alaskans can have jobs that allow them to live in the region," said Murkowski. The Clinton Administration in 1999 proposed to declare about 95 percent of the remaining timber base in the Tongass as protected "roadless" areas, an action that would have stopped most all remaining timber harvests in the region. Under the preferred of eight alternatives unveiled today by the Forest Service, the Tongass would still be able to support a timber supply of between 220-267 million board feet a year, even though the forest only produced 47 mmbf last year. "In crafting the 1997 plan the Forest Service had evaluated the roadless issue in the light of Congressional mandates restricting new wilderness recommendations in Alaska. I'm glad this new review reinforces the earlier conclusion that the wildlife and wilderness needs of the Tongass have been fully met," said Murkowski. Concerning the Chugach, the Forest Service today unveiled its final revised land plan for the Southcentral forest. The plan recommends a Congressional designation of 1.4 million acres of new wilderness in Prince William Sound. It creates new bear habitat conservation areas on the Kenai and proposes several new wild and scenic river designations. But the plan permits the current 1.8 mmbf level of yearly timber harvest to continue, creates large areas of back country recreation, including many for motorized uses, protects mining entry to potential mineralized regions and preserves access for tourism and private landowners. "Given the danger of wildfire on the Kenai due to the Spruce Bark Beetle infestation, it is important that this plan provides the flexibility to improve forest health while protecting the unique areas of Prince William Sound that Congress had previously set aside for study as potential wilderness. "The plan properly protects special areas, while observing the spirit and letter of the 'no-more' clause inserted in the Alaska Lands Act specifically to protect Alaskans from facing more administrative land withdrawals. This plan is a fair compromise that should satisfy any reasonable environmentalist while fully protecting the ability of Alaskans to responsibly develop natural resources in Southcentral Alaska," said Murkowski. Murkowski said he was especially happy that the final Chugach plan allows for the possibility of a modest increase in future timber harvests, should market conditions permit, while allowing for active forest management that will reduce the wildfire hazard in parts of the forest. The plan effectively will lift defacto wilderness management on another half million acres of the forest. The Chugach final plan revision will be official when the decision document is formally signed. This brings to a close a multi-year effort that has been eagerly awaited by the public. Murkowski said completion of the Tongass document is a vital next step in settling the lawsuits that have sharply limited activity in the forest since the court ruling in March, 2001.
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