Mosquito Lake area property owners voiced concerns about climate-change driven landslides, pollution of shallow wells and other potential impacts from a series of timber sales the state has proposed in their rural neighborhood.
About 40 residents – several whose homes sit downhill from planned logging operations in the Ski Hill and Four Winds sales – attended an Aug. 17 meeting at Mosquito Lake School and Community Center hosted by Haines area forester Greg Palmieri.
Residents said logging operations on state lands should occur away from residential areas and not in their “backyards.” Bill Jurewitz, a candidate for Haines Borough Assembly, asked if it was feasible to leave a 1,500-yard buffer between timber operations and private properties.
Palmieri said the sales are going ahead because the land there is designated for commercial harvest by the state. The sales present an economic opportunity for local timber operators partly because previous logging and road-building there will make it easier to access harvest areas, he said.
Palmieri encouraged residents to submit comments on the proposed Ski Hill project by an Aug. 30 deadline and to read the state’s documents, including the Haines State Forest Management Plan.
But Palmieri’s response to a question from Julie Korsmeyer – if recent information about climate had been incorporated in the management plan written in 2002 – also raised concerns for those in attendance.
“Climate is an issue that is beyond our scope right here,” Palmieri said. “I really don’t want to go down the path of climate change here. I’m not in a position to speak authoritatively about any of that. My beliefs are personal and I don’t think they have a place in this conversation, necessarily,” Palmieri said.
Resident Erika Merklin said climate change factors were “critical and crucial and need to be brought into the forefront of consideration.” Palmieri responded that it would be irresponsible for him to speak to details he didn’t have.
Residents were critical of the state’s notification procedures as well as its timber-sale planning process, which does not include details about roads or specific areas and methods of harvest until just before timber is sold.
“When they get to the Forest Land Use Plan, it seems like it’s the last stage of the game but we don’t get detailed information on what’s really happening – where the road cuts are, where the clearcuts are – (until then),” said Riverview Road resident Greg Rasmussen.
“Down at the end of Riverview Road, that logging wasn’t done for the last 50 years. Since then, all these houses are on Riverview Road. All those fresh road cuts are going to affect the water quality for several residents who draw their water off that hill,” Rasmussen said.
Three timber operators attended the meeting. Mosquito Lake logger David Hertel characterized some of his neighbors’ concerns as stemming from a “demonization” of logging and visualization of large clearcuts that have occurred elsewhere.
“There’s more layers to it,” Hertel said. “I want you guys to think a little beyond this broad scale. If that sale lasts for 20 years…you’re able to manage that. We’re able to keep the forest in production. We’re able to selectively harvest. And there are things we’re able to do to make sure it is sustainable.”
Clearcuts in the two proposed sales would be limited to 10 acres and the timber from them would go for local lumber and firewood, according to the state’s plans.
Discussion of the state’s timber sale process and opportunities for public involvement consumed about a third of the 90-minute meeting. Several residents said they were surprised by the Aug. 30 comment deadline on the state’s “best interest finding” on Ski Hill. Others reported having difficulties navigating the state’s website.
Palmieri told residents he understood concerns stemming from proximity of proposed logging to homes.
“These are all outstanding, constructive comments that we can sit down and work together on accomplishing a solution – or perhaps not. I’m not at that stage of the planning yet. I certainly hope that we can. But I’m not presupposing or pretending to represent one thing and not another,” Palmieri said.
Palmieri asked residents to not “jump to conclusions” and said that a planned sequence of individual sales would allow the state to make changes using knowledge gained after completing an initial sale.