After more than a quarter-century, the nation’s largest national forest is getting a new management plan. On April 22, Wrangell community members will get a chance to learn about the proposed revisions to the forest plan and share their thoughts.
A forest plan can be compared to zoning, Paul Robbins Jr., public affairs staff officer for the Tongass National Forest, explained. The plan helps guide management decisions, such as focusing on what areas are managed for recreation versus other activities, rather than looking at specific trails and cabins.
The Forest Service will host an in-person Wrangell workshop for the plan revisions where community members will be able to share comments, ideas and ask questions. The workshop will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday, April 22, at the Nolan Center. There will be a brief presentation, and then the workshop will be open and informal, with feedback stations that cover various topics.
The workshop in Wrangell is one of over 20 similar events held around Southeast this month. The goal of the workshops is to help educate the public on what a forest management plan is, get feedback on their vision for the Tongass and give them an opportunity to share their knowledge, Robbins said.
Bob Dalrymple, borough assembly member and former Forest Service employee, said the new plan will likely focus on wilderness, wild scenic rivers, mariculture and recreation.
The borough will become a cooperating agency in the plan revision, Borough Manager Mason Villarma said, which will provide the local government with a formal process for commenting on the plan revision.
Dalrymple noted that originally, the Tongass drove economic development of the timber industry. Throughout the years, as environmental groups have become more concerned with the Tongass, Dalrymple said some changes have been detrimental to the communities within the national forest.
He said part of the reason the borough wants to be a cooperating agent is so that it can comment on what the Forest Service could do for the economy.
Meaningful dialogue is vital to creating a successful management plan, Robbins said. The Forest Service is also partnering with Spruce Root and Juneau Economic Development Council to ensure that a variety of inputs, local and traditional ecological knowledge are involved.
The National Forest Management Act of 1976 required every national forest to develop a plan. The current management plan for the Tongass was created in 1997, with a subsequent revision. It’s important to adapt to the social and ecological conditions that have changed over the past 25 years, Robbins said.
When the management plan was created in 1997, the region was looking at the end of the pulp mills and logging era. A 2016 amendment to that plan focused on the need to transition to young-growth forest. Today, the region has a much more diversified economy that includes tourism, fishing and recreation.
In addition to the in-person workshops, the Forest Service has been hosting webinars every Wednesday evening that are recorded and can be watched on their website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/tongass/landmanagement/planning
The revision will likely be drafted by 2025, with implementation in 2028, according to the Forest Service website.
Dalrymple said the complexities of the process and the legal components of revising the management plan are overwhelming. The event April 22 will help inform the public and explain these components, he said.
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