ALASKA-NEWS-RELEASE: Logjam News release attachment- letter to appellant

["Ray F Massey" <rmassey@xxxxxxxxx>]

File Code:1570Date: September 24, 2009

Mr. Gabriel Scott
Alaska Field Representative
Cascadia WildlandsP.O. Box 853Cordova,
AK 99574

Dear Mr. Scott:

Pursuant to 36 CFR 215.18(b)(1), I
have reviewed the administrative record for the Logjam Timber Sale Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD).  The
Tongass Forest Supervisor signed the ROD.  I have also considered
the Appeal Reviewing Officer’s (ARO) recommendation (enclosed) regarding
the disposition of your appeal (Appeal #09-10-00-0008 A215).  The
ARO recommended that the Forest Supervisor’s decision be affirmed.

Decision
I concur with the ARO’s recommendation
and affirm the Forest Supervisor’s decision, with instructions as specified
below.  Your requested relief is denied.

Management of the Tongass National
Forest has long been contentious.  In recent years, however, great
strides have been taken to bring all interested parties together in a collaborative
search for common ground through the Tongass Futures Roundtable (TFR).
 One of the central goals of TFR has been to accelerate the transition
of the timber program on the Tongass from one based on harvesting old-growth
forest stands to one that focuses on areas harvested decades ago, when
harvest methods were not nearly as protective of other natural resources
as current practices are.

These efforts fit very well with the
vision for the Forest Service that was articulated recently by Secretary
of Agriculture Vilsack in his speech in Seattle.  The Secretary envisions
a future in which the agency’s efforts are focused on restoration of the
health and resilience of forest ecosystems and the rural economies that
depend on them.  In short, the Secretary is calling the Forest Service
to work more collaboratively to improve community health and wealth in
rural America.

The Secretary also noted that, in some
parts of the western United States, these efforts are hampered by the deterioration—indeed,
in some cases the disappearance—of the infrastructure needed for a restoration
economy.  With so few mills remaining in some areas, it is even more
difficult to conduct the type of restoration activities that are so essential
to enhance the resilience of forest ecosystems to threats associated with
climate change, such as invasive species and wildfires.

In Southeast Alaska, we have an opportunity
to prevent that situation from occurring, but only if we act promptly to
retain the few remaining timber operators.  As I stated in the Record
of Decision for the 2008 Tongass Forest Plan Amendment, if we fail to make
sufficient economical timber volume available to the remaining timber industry
in Southeast Alaska in the next few years, there will be no industry available
to conduct restoration activities when young-growth forest stands become
more available for harvest in future decades.

These are the factors that compel me
to make the decision I am making today.  It would be tragic, however,
if this decision had a negative effect on future collaborative efforts
to find consensus regarding where to continue active management of the
Tongass.  These collaborative efforts will continue to be essential
to development of a diverse restoration economy in Southeast Alaska focused
on enhancing ecological, social, and economic resiliency of the area we
all love so well.
Accordingly, while I affirm the Forest
Supervisor’s decision on the Logjam Timber Sale, I instruct him to do
the following:

* As timber sale project(s) are implemented
from the Logjam Timber Sale FEIS/ROD, consider mitigating effects by modifying
road standards (specified roads to temporary roads with closure upon completion
of project), modifying harvest prescriptions (even aged management to individual
tree removal where feasible), and deferring harvest in key wildlife corridors
if other vegetative treatments in previously harvested areas have not occurred
or are not scheduled to occur prior to implementation of the Logjam decision.
 Any deviation from the Logjam decision should follow Forest Service
directives and NEPA to determine whether further environmental analysis
is required.

* Continue to place emphasis on preparing
young-growth projects for implementation in all Land Use Designations that
allow this type of activity to occur, to determine their feasibility in
off-setting conventional timber harvest.  Immediately focus resources
to developing young-growth projects and conducting environmental analysis
of them so that interest in these projects can begin to be determined.

* The Tongass has made major milestones
in furthering the collaborative efforts associated with vegetation management.
 In light of this work, consider developing a process whereby interest
groups can become involved in the initial phases of long-term planning
for both conventional timber sales and young growth projects.  As
well, determine through this process whether or not stewardship type contracts
could be utilized to achieve multiple objectives with multi-resource environmental
analysis documents.

My decision incorporates, by reference,
the entire administrative record, which includes the appeal and project
planning records, and constitutes the final administrative decision of
 the Department of Agriculture [36 CFR 215.18(c)].  The ROD may
be implemented 15 days following the date of this decision [36 CFR 215.9(b)].
Sincerely,


 DENNIS E. BSCHOR
Regional Forester
Enclosure

cc:  Forrest Cole, Jason C Anderson
  



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