State seeks intervention in Tongass timber sale lawsuit

The State of Alaska has filed motions to intervene in three lawsuits where various environmental organizations are seeking to halt the Big Thorne timber project in Southeast Alaska.

The motions focus on the state’s interest in rebuilding and maintaining a healthy timber industry in Southeast and the damage the lawsuits could do to funding public services in rural Alaska.

“Any delay to the Big Thorne project not only prevents the timber industry from contributing to a diverse and robust economy, but also reduces vital funding for schools and roads in our rural areas,” said Governor Sean Parnell. “It is important that we take an active role in the litigation and represent the interests of Alaska’s communities.”

The U.S. Forest Service took final action on the Big Thorne project in August, more than a year after the record of decision was originally issued. The project authorizes the harvest of 148.9 million board feet of timber and encompasses 8,500 acres. This is the only federal timber project in Southeast that could provide timber supply in the short term, as no other projects are far enough along in the review process.

In addition to the impacts on jobs in Southeast Alaska, the state is eligible for federal funds associated with Tongass timber harvests. These timber funds benefit Alaskans by paying for schools, roads and special projects in rural areas. A harvest reduction would likely lead to a cut in these funds.

The three lawsuits were filed in late August by numerous environmental organizations, challenging the record of decision for the sale and the 2008 Tongass Land Management Plan.

The last operating mid-sized timber mill in the region, operated by Viking Limber Company in Klawock, is at risk of closing if the sale stalls or is cancelled through litigation. As recently as 2008, there were three mills of its size operating in Southeast.

“Viking estimates they’ll run out of logs before spring of next year, so they are pretty desperate for timber,” said Owen Graham, Executive Director of the Alaska Forest Association. “We’re just struggling to survive and we desperately need that sale.”

Viking needs about 23 million board feet of timber per year to remain in operation, Graham said.

The Forest Service has been unable to fulfill its commitment to provide local mills with enough timber each year to remain in operation. In 2008, the Service targeted between 15 and 20 million board feet of timber per year for 10 years through four large sales, but it hasn’t been successful in pushing through those sales and so far this year has sold only five million board feet.

Endless appeals and litigation have blocked the sales. In fact, almost every large scale sale in the past 20 years has been appealed and litigated.

The current Tongass land management plan allows for a sustainable harvest of 267 million board feet annually for the next 100 years. In recent years, the harvest has averaged 35 million board feet.

Up to the early 1990s, more than 500 million board feet of timber was harvested from the Tongass. The timber industry was a major pillar of the region’s economy and one of the biggest in Alaska, accounting for 4,000 jobs. Most of those jobs are now gone.

The state is supplying mills with about 13 million board feet per year from its lands in the region, but that’s not enough volume to sustain what is left of the industry if the Big Thorne sale doesn’t come out, said State Forester Chris Maisch.

Although the Tongass land plan allows for a sustainable harvest of 267 million board feet annually, in recent years the harvest has averaged only 35 million board feet.

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