Viewpoints
Tongass Plan Amendment
By Mike McKimens
March 13, 2007
Tuesday AM
I own a fledgling small charter/guide business on Prince of Wales
Island and I can tell you firsthand my clients are looking to
experience the fishing, marine life, wildlife and scenery that
places like Eleven Mile near Klawock and other wild Southeast
Alaska areas offer. Small businesses depend on healthy, intact
Tongass watersheds. The future of small business in Southeast
depends on proper management of our forest.
It is time to tell the Forest Service to change its timber first
policy and time to stop funding the extinction of old growth
forests for the sake of a few jobs. Once old growth is logged
it is gone forever. There is plenty of timber available off
the existing road system for small operators.
How about investing in the future by replacing culverts, restoring
critical deer habitat, thinning second growth, creating a market
for second growth, managing existing and building new recreation
facilities while protecting high value salmon producing watersheds
at the same time? There is almost no mention of restoration
in the draft Tongass forest plan. A restoration economy can
provide good paying jobs and would be good for everyone including
fish and wildlife.
Folks on the Tongass have a unique opportunity to be proactive
and learn from the past development mistakes that happened in
the Pacific Northwest. People need to understand that what exists
today in Southeast Alaska are the largest remaining intact stands
of old-growth temperate rainforest in North America. That s
invaluable on a global as well as local scale.
Please take the time to comment on the Tongass Forest Plan Amendment.
It s time for true multiple use of the forest. Submit your
written comments to the Forest Service by mail or online by April
12, 2007.
Mike McKimens
Craig, AK
Received March 12, 2007 - Published March 13, 2007
About: "23 year resident
of Craig. Small business owner that recognizes our public lands
belong to every US citizen and are to be managed for true multiple
use."
Note: Comments published
on Viewpoints are the opinions of the writer
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sitnews.
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