Timber

In some areas, yellow cedar trees stand white and bare of needles against a background of green hemlock. The places appear skeleton-like, bare trees standing with limbs exposed.

Southeast Alaska’s largest environmental organization is advertising for a new executive director. Malena Marvin has led the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council for close to two years.

The U.S. Forest Service on Prince of Wales Island and U.S. Department of Agriculture officials are working on a plan to help ease tensions by changing rules and selling younger timber.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a 2003 exemption on Wednesday that would have made it possible to build roads through the Tongass National Forest.

Six organizations want the state to cancel the upcoming wolf trapping and hunting season on POW, the federal Office of Subsistence Management to cancel the subsistence wolf harvest, and the Forest Service to halt logging activity on the Big Thorne Timber Sale.

Tongass National Forest officials have counted 16 wildfires this season, one more than the regional average for a whole year.

Haines, Petersburg, Wrangell, Ketchikan and Tenakee were left out of 1971’s Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which gave land, money and corporate status to many other communities.

The restrictions will continue until the region sees some rain. It’s also possible all operations could be shut down if the hot, dry weather continues.

Fire Marshal discourages starting campfires and open burns until Juneau gets more rain.