LUTHERAN QUILTERS – Members of the Quilts for Comfort Group stand between pews draped with some of the 205 quilts they made, in the Sitka Lutheran Church Tuesday. The group made the quilts for five local non-profits and one in Anchorage. The remaining quilts are sent to Lutheran World Relief which distributes them to places around the world in need, such as Ukraine, as part of Personal Care Kits. Pictured are, from left, Helen Cunningham, Kathleen Brandt,Vicki Swanson, Paulla Hardy, Kim Hunter, Linda Swanson and Sue Fleming. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
Federal officials on Wednesday approved most of Alaska’s four-y [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
At an hour-long work session with the Assembly Tuesda [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
The story behind a classic, though often misunderstoo [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
The state government risks losing millions of dollars in feder [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday signed a bill that promise [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, known for its steep mountains [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing Wednesday in competitive division City League volleyball matches, Ca [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 27
At 2:36 p.m. a dead [ ... ]
This Week in Girls on the Run
By Sitkans Against Family Violence
and The Pathways Coalition
During th [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]
By SHIRLEY SNEVE
Indian Country Today
A major renovation at an Alaska museum to attract tourist [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 26
At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]
Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
Competing in the state 3A basketball tournament in Anc [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
A bill that passed the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Chamber Hears SCS Role in Tongass
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Sitka Conservation Society will continue to advocate for environmental policy and community sustainability, particularly in relation to the future of timber harvesting in the Tongass, SCS Executive Director Andrew Thoms told the Sitka Chamber Wednesday.
“The mission of the Sitka Conservation Society today is to protect the natural environment of the Tongass,” Thoms said, “and support the development of sustainable communities in Southeast Alaska.”
Founded in 1967 “in the heart of the pulp mill logging days,” the society chose as one of its first goals the designation of the West Chichigof-Yakobi Island area as wilderness. This was achieved by an act of Congress in 1980. Thoms added that the Sitka Chamber proposed the South Baranof area as wilderness, and this designation also won Congressional approval in 1980.
Andrew Thoms (Sentinel Photo)
In the present day, Thoms said, a critical mission of SCS was “how do you keep a viable timber industry, but look out into the future and try to manage the forest where the most sensitive areas that are the most contentious aren’t logged.” Thoms served on the Tongass Advisory Committee, a collaborative group of Southeast Alaska stakeholders that worked with the U.S. Forest Service on the 2016 revision of the Tongass Management Plan that to transition logging from old growth to new growth timber.
The details of the 2016 Tongass plan are available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/tongass/landmanagement/?cid=STELPRD3801708.
That multi-year effort has been overshadowed by the plan now being put forward by the Forest Service that would exempt the Tongass from the provisions of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, an open previously protected old growth to logging.
“It’s really unfortunate that this has come up, because there’s been a lot of really good things going on in the Tongass,” Thom said. “There’s been a lot of work done collaboratively between some conservation groups like SCS and the Nature Conservancy, and the state of Alaska Division of Forestry and timber operators.”
“The timber industry has its day,” he said, “There’s another level of timber industry that we have to figure out how to make it work.”
Thoms said that a sustainable timber industry in the Tongass would revolve around new growth trees. “We’re working with the Forest Service on their policies on how they put together timber sales,” he told the chamber.
The Conservation Society was involved in setting up the timber sale for the Tongass Tiny Home project as well, Thoms told the crowd. He noted that the home used second growth timber of almost every local species. The tiny home was built at Sitka High.
“We wanted logging that was done in a rational way,” he said.
Thoms said that SCS helped with the renovation of Forest Service recreational cabins at Allen Point and Fred’s Creek, again using local timber. He mentioned the contribution of Sitka High student Grace Harang to the project. “She was the photographer, she hauled lumber, she was the bear guard, she caught some food,” he said.
The Conservation Society joined members of the Sitka Volunteer Fire Department in building new decks and improving other features of the cabins over the summer, he said.
Going forward, Thoms said, a top priority of the Conservation Society is “how do we balance environmental conservation, social goods, and social need, so we have a healthy community without conflict.”
SCS is also hosting the annual Wild Foods Potluck this Sunday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Centennial Hall. All are welcome and attendance is free.
The Chamber meets again next Wednesday to hear a presentation from School District Superintendent Mary Wegner and Business Manager Cassee Olin.
Login Form
20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Advertisement: Tea-Licious Tea House & Bakery 315 Lincoln Street Grand Opening! Freshly Baked Scones, Cakes & Pastries Innovative Salads, Soups & Sandwiches Harney & Sons Tea. Lunch * Afternoon Tea * Supper.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Photo caption: National Republican Chairman George Bush takes a drink of water offered by Jan Craddick, Sitka delegate, during the Republican convention held here. Mrs. Craddick explained to Bush that the water was from Indian River, which means, according to local legend, that he will return.