November 09, 2005
Wednesday

Ketchikan, Alaska - The Craig and Thorne Bay Ranger Districts are encouraging firewood harvest on a number of temporary roads created during recent timber sale activity on Prince of Wales Island. These areas often hold a large amount of available utility wood, ideal for firewood collecting near a road. With the rising cost of fuel oil, the use of firewood to heat homes is an economic activity the Forest Service is pleased to support.

In some locations, temporary roads associated with timber sales must be closed and "water barred" to prevent future impacts to water quality and important fish habitat. However, the Craig and Thorne Bay Districts have decided to postpone closure of some temporary roads, where practical, to facilitate increased firewood collecting opportunities. Currently, the following roads are being kept open for at least one year following the closure of recent timber sale contracts:

Thorne Bay Ranger District: #2030123, #2030300, #2030126
Craig Ranger District: #2100125, #2000191

These temporary roads are still scheduled for future closure as required by forest plan standards and guidelines. The Forest Service will post these roads accordingly, and hopes the public will take advantage of this opportunity to access firewood for the season. To maintain future opportunities like this, both districts will work with timber sale operators and district staff to make a practice of delaying closure activities on eligible roads with prime firewood harvest options.

"We hope this small effort helps people harvest and use firewood on the island at a time when energy costs are so high," said Craig District Ranger Greg Killinger.

Source of News & Photographs:

U.S. Forest Service - Tongass National Forest
http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongas

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Ketchikan, Alaska