POW Tongass Forest Comment Period

We are asking for the public’s input on a wide array of proposed activities included in the Out-year Plan for the project. The Out-year Plan is a living document that allows the public to track activities through the implementation process. The Forest is specifically looking for comments on activity design components, locations, methods, mitigation measures, and integration opportunities for items listed as “draft” in the Out-year Plan.

The month long comment period begins Aprils 13, 2019 and concludes May 13, 2019. 

See the “Dear Planning and Implementation Participant Letter” below for more information on the Out-year Plan comment period. All materials used during the Public Workshop is available below.

Link to the Comment Site

The purpose of the Prince of Wales Landscape Level Analysis Project (POW LLA) is to improve forest ecosystem health on Craig and Thorne Bay Ranger Districts, help support community resilience, and to use an integrated approach in meeting multiple resource objectives in order to provide economic development. The proposed action will be developed through extensive public involvement to meet the purpose and needs for the project, with activities occuring over the course of 10 to 15 years. Input from the tribes and the public will help determine the location and types of activities, and how extensively they will occur across the landscape.

The area for the POW LLA Project encompasses all of Prince of Wales Island as well as surrounding islands that make up the two ranger districts. Public involvement for this project inclues: public meetings in various communities, subsistence hearings, information posted in community areas, entries in local publications like the Island Post, and contributions from the Prince of Wales Landscape Assessment Team.* This website will be the central source of information for all interested individuals and groups, and to keep the public up-to-date on the Forest Service’s planning progress. *a collaborative group independently formed to provide widely based proposals to be considered by the U.S. Forest Service in the POW LLA Project development and analysis process.

The Tongass National Forest has transitioned to an electronic mailing system for all projects and planning efforts, including the POW LLA Project. We will communicate project updates and announcements through this system and invite you to sign up by clicking here and submitting your email address. You may select other Tongass Projects that interest you as well by managing your subscriber preferences after you sign up.

If you would like to comment electronically on the POW LLA Project during specified public comment periods, which is required to gain standing to object to the project later in the NEPA process, you may do so here. Please note, when a comment period is not open, the ability to submit electronic comments online will not be enabled, and contact information for the project leader will be displayed at that link. We welcome your input at any time, and look forward to continuing to work with you on developing a successful landscape-level project.

For more information, contact Project Leader Delilah Brigham at 907-828-3232 or email delilah.brigham@usda.gov