The University of Alaska’s land management branch representatives visited Haines this week to host discussion groups on a proposed 10-year timber sale on university-owned land.
The prospective sale would harvest trees from about 6,000 acres of land to earn the university $1 million a year, according to regional land manager Patrick Kelly.
More than 40 community members, seated in a large circle, attended Monday night’s discussion at the ANB/ANS Hall. Additionally, university representatives hosted discussions Monday and Tuesday morning at Mountain Market and presented at the Haines Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Monday.
Laura Carmack, who has replaced Kelly as regional land manager for the university, and Elaine Main, UA business manager, led the discussion groups. Kelly, who will retire at the end of the week, and private consultant Morgan Howard also made the trip.
Carmack, who worked in the land management office for 16 years before taking over as regional land manager, brought a blown-up map of the land designation in the Chilkat Valley.
“When someone says Seven Mile Saddle, I have no idea where that is,” Carmack said on Monday night. “So for me, what would really help is…(to) mark up this map…whatever we need to do to keep track of areas that people want us to take into consideration,” she said.
Common concerns raised among residents were effects on the Haines community, alternative use of land and sustainability.
Effects on the Haines community
Earlier this month, the university announced that more fieldwork needs to be completed before a contract can be signed, though it’s still not clear if a buyer is committed to the sale. According to the UA’s updated timber schedule, the “potential purchaser” visit to Haines is postponed to spring of 2019.
Resident Patty Brown asked the land officers on Monday if they will be doing any local hires for field work.
“Yes,” Carmack said, “We have expressed that to the contractor.” Morgan added that he is keeping a database and that anyone interested in local hire, or any businesses interested in partnerships should contact him. Later, when asked if local buyers could purchase some of the timber, Carmack said that it could be possible “if a purchaser isn’t interested in parts of the sale and a local buyer is.”
When asked how the sale would benefit Haines, Main said it could boost tourism by providing a bridge to Chilkat Lake for recreational opportunities, generate biomass and create the need for a new dock.
Brad Ryan, borough public facilities director, asked if the university plans to financially contribute to the Lutak Dock repair for timber transport. “That would be the purchaser who would decide that infrastructure development,” Kelly said.
Alternative use of land
Several suggestions were brought forward for alternative land use.
Thom Ely asked at the Chamber luncheon if the university considered carbon credits because “the value of the tree standing may be worth more than if they are cut down.”
Kelly said that carbon credit programs won’t consider the university property as a location because of their fiduciary responsibility. Land grants aren’t conducive to 100-year carbon credit commitments because if a higher investment use were to come up, the university would be obligated to back out of the carbon deal, Kelly said.
Eric Holle, board president of Lynn Canal Conservation, asked the university to consider monetizing the land as a tourist area for wildlife viewing that would continue to pay off without disrupting habitat for wildlife, including bears.
Main said the university would consider all options, but due to their “limited” staff they’re not able to devote time to researching each alternative. Kelly later said that the university land isn’t big enough for a reserve.
Elsa Sebastian, director of Lynn Canal Conservation, said she was concerned by the lack of capacity within the UA land office.
“One of the things we’ve heard is that all options are on the table,” she said. “Those options might be on the table, but if there’s nobody within the UA land office who has the background or expertise or time to consider those options, and if the university predominately has experience brokering timber sales, then we can assume that’s the direction we’re going to go.”
Sebastian asked if the university was willing to utilize internal resources, like students and professors, to try to make those connections for the Haines community.
Carmack said that the land office has contracted additional staff for specific projects in the past, and is open to doing so if the current prospective deal falls through.
Sustainability
Many community members expressed concern about sustainability in the 10-year timber project.
Assembly member Tom Morphet said at the Monday night meeting that he doesn’t think the university’s position is far from what most people in the valley want: sustainable use of the forest.
“I think potential opposition… comes if logs were shipped out whole to be made into some third-world product we don’t benefit from,” he said.
Morphet said he thinks there is broad support for a timber industry that is sustainable if spread over a longer period of time so that the stands could regenerate.
“I guess it comes down to how fast the university needs a big pile of dough,” he said.
Main said that Morphet’s idea would take more money upfront, which is not a viable option for the university.
“Our responsibility is to generate revenue,” Kelly said. Main told community members that the land management department is not paid by the university, and relies on the funds it generates to pay salaries.
Kimberly Strong, Klukwan Tribal Council President, raised the question of sustainability over generations.
“How do we make sure that… we don’t build an infrastructure here that after the boom comes that bust that we can’t sustain that Lutak Dock anymore?” she asked.
She said that in 30 years, the university will be gone and the Lutak Dock will be in disrepair again and it will be up to the Haines community to fix it.
Main said that the university previously managed their land by subdividing and selling, but has re-evaluated its method to be more sustainable since experiencing budget cuts from the state legislature.
“Now we are looking at different types of projects,” Main said, after the university realized it had sold some of its most valuable land.
When asked whether or not global tariffs may affect the sale, Kelly said, “The tariffs around the world are affecting everybody.” Morgan added that since the projection of the timber harvest is long-term, the tariffs may be eliminated before the project even starts.
In October, a five-year Mat-Su timber sale fell through when Chinese buyers pulled out, citing heightened expenses. Eric Oien, owner of Denali Timber Management involved in the sale, told the CVN it will be hard to generate timber sale harvest in the current, unpredictable market.
Carmack and May said they plan to return to Haines once a quarter, with their next visit set for March.