February 22, 2006
Wednesday PM

Ketchikan, Alaska - The United States Forest Service announced Tuesday that two appeals have been rejected that would have blocked timber sale and the harvesting of 16.4 million board feet of timber on the Cleveland Peninsula located northwest of Ketchikan.

According to the Forest Service, the proposed 600-acre project, which is located approximately 40 air miles north of Ketchikan within the Ketchikan-Misty Fiords Ranger District, would provide nearly 90 jobs in Southeast Alaska.

Tongass National Forest Supervisor Forrest Cole signed the Emerald Bay Record of Decision in November 2005, approving the harvest of approximately 16 million board feet of timber from 600 acres on the Cleveland Peninsula.

Residents of Meyers Chuck, users of the Cleveland Peninsula, and regional and national conservation groups filed the appeals against what they said was a money-losing timber sale that would damage stunning Emerald Bay on the Cleveland Peninsula.

The appeals said the Forest Service had not adequately analyzed the project's economics and effects on wildlife were rejected by regional forester Dennis Bschor on Tuesday. Also questioned was if the Emerald Bay timber sales could proceed based on an August 4, 2005 decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that found the Federal Tongass Land Management Plan to be defective because of a Forest Service error that doubled its projections of market demand for Tongass timber.

Responding to Tuesday's announcement, Gregory Vickrey Director of the Tongass Conservation Society said Wednesday, "This is the losing mentality we have come to expect from the agency. They do not care how many tax dollars are lost on this or any sale. They do not care about standards and guidelines associated with loss of habitat for various species in the area. They do not care about the economic losses afforded us through multiple use of Emerald Bay and the peninsula on the whole."

Vickrey said, "According to their own calculations, the Emerald Bay sale will cost tax payers over 1.5 million dollars. Even this exorbitant amount does not cover the true costs associated with the project and actual receipt losses on this sale alone will be well over $10 million."

"With regards to wildlife habitat, the Forest Service will implement its own standards and guidelines for specific species based on the illegal Tongass Land Management Plan only during the harvesting process after critical habitat has already been compromised for the sake of a single industry," said Vickrey.

Vickrey said he believes that the Forest Service does very little to address public concerns associated with loss of true economic value on the Cleveland Peninsula. He said, "The record of decision, while mentioning potential losses, does not provide any thorough analysis of the negative impact associated with creating a footprint of clearcuts on the Peninsula and disregards details provided by the appellants during the review process. "

Commenting Wednesday Gregory Vickrey said, "The Forest Service is beholden to a dying industry. They are short-sighted in that their statements in both the record of decision and the appeal process have little to no regard to multiple use of the area, the true economic value of the Peninsula, and the laws by which they must abide. As an agency that is supposed to serve the mandate of multiple-use, they fail miserably. It is time for a sea-change at the agency, in thought process and methodology. "

Vickrey, Director of the Tongass Conservation Society, did not comment on Wednesday if the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council will file an appeal of Bschor's decision in court.

Related News:

Meyers Chuck Residents and Others Challenge Emerald Bay Timber Sale Again - Residents of Meyers Chuck, users of the Cleveland Peninsula, and regional and national conservation groups filed an appeal against what they say is a money-losing timber sale that would damage stunning Emerald Bay on the western shore of the Cleveland Peninsula. - More...
SitNews - January 09, 2006

Forest Service Issues Emerald Bay Decision - Tongass National Forest Supervisor Forrest Cole recently signed the Emerald Bay Record of Decision, approving the harvest of approximately 16 million board feet of timber from 600 acres on the Cleveland Peninsula to provide nearly 90 jobs in Southeast Alaska. The proposed project area is located approximately 40 air miles north of Ketchikan within the Ketchikan-Misty Fiords Ranger District. - Read more...
SitNews - November 08, 2005

SitNews
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska