Tongass timber industry urges long‑term stability after repeated policy shifts

Clarence Clark, owner of Southeast Alaska Resources and a witness for the Alaska Forest Association, told a House Natural Resources subcommittee that Southeast Alaska's Tongass National Forest is largely in federal ownership and that only a small fraction of the forest is currently available for timber harvest under existing plans.

Lede: Clark said the Tongass contains about 16.8 million acres, roughly 66% of which is roadless; he told the committee the forest plan currently designates about 360,000 acres as suitable and available for harvest under the plan, representing roughly 2% of the forest base for timber harvest.

Nut graf: The witness described repeated planning and rule changes over the last two decades that, he said, have reduced timber sale quantities from historical levels and discouraged long‑term investment. He urged Congress to provide statutory stability to replace executive orders and frequent administrative reversals.

Details: Clark said the forest plan's projected annual timber sale quantity is about 46 million board feet while recent offered volumes averaged about 2.5 million board feet per year; industry harvests in recent years totaled about 11.6 million board feet over a five‑year period, he said. He argued that Southeast Alaska timber provides high‑grade specialty products used by the defense and high‑end manufacturing sectors and recommended that Congress enact durable law to provide a predictable supply and to support stewardship contracting and shared‑stewardship agreements.

Ending: Clark urged long‑term policy certainty and continuing federal‑state partnerships to sustain timber‑dependent communities and specialty wood markets; committee members asked for further briefings and written materials.