A 30-day comment period has started for a proposed young-growth timber harvest on Prince of Wales Island. The Dargon Point project is part of a broader effort by the U.S. Forest Service to transition from old-growth to young-growth harvest.
Dargon Point is on the western shore of Prince of Wales Island, about three miles north of Naukati. The proposal calls for harvesting young-growth spruce and hemlock, which are about 60 to 70 years old. The stand originally was harvested in the 1940s.
Tongass National Forest Supervisor Forrest Cole says the project will improve forest health and wildlife habitat, and will provide work for local mills and contractors.
The preferred project alternative would thin and harvest about 1.4 million board feet on about 70 acres. It would include about one mile of road construction. The project is not inside inventories roadless areas.
The comment period started Dec. 10th. It closes at 5 p.m. Jan. 9th. The Environmental Assessment is available online at http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/fs-usda-pop.php/?project=38409
Written comments can be faxed to (907) 828-3309 or mailed to: Tongass National Forest Thorne Bay Ranger District Attn. Dargon Point Project EA P.O. Box 19001 Thorne Bay, AK 99919-0001
Hand-delivered comments should be brought to the Thorne Bay Ranger District, 1312 Federal Way, Thorne Bay, AK 99919-0001. The hours for submitting hand-delivered comments are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
Electronic comments must be submitted with the following subject line, “Dargon Point Project,” and as part of the actual e-mail message, or as a .doc, .txt, .pdf, or .rtf attachment to: comments-alaska-tongass-thorne-bay@fs.fed.us
