September 18, 2004
Saturday

Ketchikan, Alaska - The Forest Service awarded a public works contract to build roads and associated infrastructure for the Orion North Timber Sale to a locally-owned business Friday. The contract, worth approximately $1.5 million, was awarded to DuRette Construction Company in Ketchikan.

The Orion North Timber Sale will allow one of Southeast Alaska's family-owned mills to harvest approximately eight million board feet of timber from 380 acres on Revillagigedo Island on the east side of Thorne Arm.

"Supporting our local communities is an important part of what we do and this small timber sale is a way we can accomplish that goal," said Tongass National Forest Supervisor Forrest Cole. "I'm concerned about the economic health of Southeast Alaska communities and my hope is this project will help our local, family-run mills keep operating and create some jobs."

According to the Forest Service, the Orion North project could generate about 45 local jobs.

"Private land is relatively scarce in Southeast Alaska, as most of Southeast Alaska is publicly owned," Cole explained. "So communities depend on the Tongass National Forest for their environmental as well as economic health."

The Orion North project will involve some activity in inventoried roadless areas including construction of 5.11 miles of new road and 1.5 miles of temporary road. The project also will include the reconstruction of 1.9 miles of road. The existing Orion Log Transfer Facility, located at Elf Point about 25 miles by water to Ketchikan, will be used.

Source of News Release:

U.S. Forest Service - Tongass National Forest
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