The U.S. Forest Service is seeking suggestions for sustainably managing the Tongass National Forest, with a series of public meetings across Southeast Alaska through May 19.
The Wrangell public meeting is planned for 5 to 7 p.m. May 5 at the Nolan Center.
“Instead of commenting on a plan we present, we’re asking folks to help develop it,” according to a Forest Service announcement of the meetings. That means looking for input from individuals, groups, government agencies and Alaska Native tribes about ideas such as “wood products, clean water, river restoration, fishing, jobs, improved wildlife habitat, healthy watersheds and/or new industries.”
Sessions are planned for eight other communities in the region, from Yakutat to Ketchikan.
Suggestions also can be submitted online through the Southeast Sustainable Strategy website.
It’s another step in the agency’s Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy that was launched in 2021. It’s linked with actions such as $25 million in federal grants awarded last fall for 70 area projects and the Biden administration’s reinstating of the Tongass Roadless Rule at the beginning of this year.
Paul Robbins, a regional Forest Service spokesperson, said on April 10 that much of the work so far has involved assessments and developing a management structure. He said the focus of this spring’s public input process is developing a long-term strategy.
“This is about how the Forest Service will actually manage the Tongass National Forest as a public-use forest over the next 10 years,” he said.
While meetings have been scheduled through late May, Robbins said the public will be able to contribute ideas at least through the end of June. He said the timeline could be extended to ensure they have contacted all tribes in the region, which is required by law, along with active efforts to reach out to other groups.
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