State forester outlines bill to add about 600,000 acres to Tanana Valley State Forest
Loading...
Summary
State Forester Jeremy Dowse introduced Senate Bill 188, which would expand the Tanana Valley State Forest by roughly 600,000 acres; he said the areas are recommended in DNR area plans, that the department held public meetings in May, and that the bill will return for public testimony on Thursday.
Jeremy Dowse, state forester and director of the Division of Forestry and Fire Protection, introduced Senate Bill 188 at the Senate State Affairs Committee on Feb. 3, describing a proposal to expand the Tanana Valley State Forest by approximately 600,000 acres.
Dowse said state forests are designated under AS 41.17.200 for timber management while also allowing other beneficial uses; he noted a wildlife objective under AS 41.17.400 that requires coordination with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game when managing habitat features. The division has identified productive sites in area plan updates (Eastern Tanana and Yukon‑Tanana area plans) and, Dowse said, has completed a forest inventory for the Tanana Valley in 2014 that meets preliminary inventory requirements related to an expansion.
The department conducted public outreach on the proposal between May 5 and May 28 (meetings in Fairbanks, Nulato/ name in transcript, Delta Junction and two virtual sessions, as described in committee) and reported generally supportive public comments; most questions were technical (why some areas were included, local market emphasis in management, and questions about carbon project interactions). Dowse said management plans would be updated or focused for any areas added to the state forest and that public hearings and statutory processes have been followed to date.
Ending: Chair Kawasaki closed the meeting and said the committee will take up Senate Bill 188 again on Thursday, Feb. 5, opening the measure to public testimony and providing further opportunity for invited testimony and sectional review.
