Trust land sale manager counters complaints

A tersely worded letter from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Land Office to Mayor David Jack is spelling out the Trust’s views on issues surrounding a timber sale near the former Wrangell Institute property.

In the letter, Paul Slenkamp, who is a senior resource manager for the TLO, said that while his office and Alcan, the winner of the bid to log the area, will work to ensure viewsheds and water/wind quality, there are other issues which his office takes issue with related to recent public concern over the project.

“Recently, we have become aware that during the March 26, 2013 assembly meeting, several residents expressed concern about the upcoming Wrangell Institute Timber Sale,” Slenkamp wrote. “There were several comments and concerns the TLO believes require clarification.”

Among those items, Slenkamp stated flatly that residents near the 5.25 Zimovia Highway sale site were provided notification of the proposed sale through announcements in the Wrangell Sentinel and on KSTK FM.

“Although certain residents believe they were not adequately engaged and/or notified of the proposed sale, the TLO followed its regulatory process and went beyond those requirements,” Slenkamp wrote. “Notification was provided in the Wrangell Sentinel and on the local radio.”

Slenkamp also addresses a buffer zone instituted by the harvest plan in light of wind concerns.

“Concessions were made by TLO in our final decision to the harvest plan in the form of creating a restricted ‘no cut buffer’ (100-foot wide) between Trust Lands and the adjacent residential subdivision,” he stated. “Then, an additional restriction in the form of a 100-foot wide partial cut strip was imposed on the plan. The TLO considers this 200-foot graduated buffer, coupled with the muskeg timber type located adjacent to the subdivision area, should adequately negate wind throw.”

One of the issues raised by resident Darrell Gross during both Planning and Zoning Commission and Borough Assembly meetings was the possibility that he would lose access to subsistence berries and medicinal plants near his property.

“We do our subsistence of blueberry picking where they are going to cut all the brush down,” Gross said on March 26. “We have trees that have green moss in them. We have antibiotics we make out of it … it’s going to affect us.”

In regard to Gross’ statement, Slenkamp stated that berries or other plants, herbs or natural material on the timber sale property are owned solely by the Trust.

“Another issue raised during public comments to the Assembly on March 26, 2013 was a reference to the loss of ‘blueberries picked to subsidize personal income,’” Slenkamp stated. “While we concede that some residents adjacent to the harvest will be impacted in some ways, no valid right to commercially harvest Trust assets has been granted. The lands owned by the Trust are regulated as private lands solely in the interest of the Trust and its beneficiaries. Members of the public have no legal right to benefit from the resources without compensating the Trust according to state law.”

Mayor Jack declined to offer comment ahead of the next Borough Assembly meeting scheduled for April 23, though he did refer back to a letter he read aloud during the March 26 meeting.

“This proposed timber sale is being done by a state agency and not the City and Borough of Wrangell,” Jack said. “And like many of the affected residents, The City and Borough is an adjacent property owner. As we all know, everything rolls downhill and not uphill. Neither this assembly nor City staff can dictate to the state what they can do with their property. We like you, can make requests to the State and if we care to, contact our state representatives who have the authority and obligation to set rules and regulations governing state agencies.”

According to Slenkamp’s letter, harvesting activity at the sale site should begin this week or next. Phone calls to Alcan regarding this story were not returned by deadline.