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Historic, Archive Document i Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. •/PO USDA FINAL United States Department ofAgriculture ENVIRONMENTAL ForestService IMPACT Tongass National Forest STATEMENT Alaska Region and F110-MB-429 RECORD of DECISION MADAN TIMBER SALE Tongass National Forest July 2003 . 1 UnitedStates Forest AlaskaRegion 648MissionStreet Departmentof Service TongassNationalForest Ketchikan,Alaska99901 Agriculture (907)228-6202 FAX(907)228-6215 FileCode: 1950 Date: July31, 2003 DearReader Attached is the RecordofDecision (ROD) and the Final Environmental Impact Statement forthe MadanTimber Saleon the TongassNational Forest. Additional copies ofthe Final EIS are available forreview at Forest Service DistrictOffices in southeast Alaska. Copies have also been sent to libraries throughout southeastAlaska. The ROD documents my final decision on the SelectedAlternative, and the factors considered in reachingthisdecision. The effectivedateofimplementation forthedecision andNoticeof RightsofAppeal are also specified inthe ROD. I wantto thanksthoseofyouwho took thetimeto review and comment on theDraft Environmental Impact Statement. Yourinterest inthemanagementoftheTongass National Forest is appreciated. As the Forest Supervisor, I am responsible forthisdecision. Pleasedirect anycorrespondenceor AK requests for additional copies to ChipWeber, District Ranger, P.O. Box 51, Wrangell, 99929; or to thee-mail address: cweber@fs,fed.us.; orcall (907) 874-2323. Sincerely, THOMAS PUCHLERZ Forest Supervisor a CaringfortheLandandServingPeople PrintedonRecycledPaper RECORD OF DECISION Record of Decision Record of Decision Madan Timber Sale USDA Forest Service Wrangell Ranger District, Tongass National Forest Wrangell, Alaska Introduction This Record ofDecision (ROD) documents my decision to select a modified Alternative 2 from the Madan Timber Sale Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS). The Madan Project Area is located on the mainland, south ofVirginia Lake and north ofBerg Bay approximately 8 miles southeast ofWrangell, Alaska. This Decision includes the specific location and design oftimber harvest units and roads, protection requirements for harvesting timber, and construction of associated log transfer facilities at Moose Creek and Jenkins Cove. The timber may be sold in one sale or several sales ofvarying sizes. In addition, this Decision includes the implementation ofroad management objectives such as road maintenance level and road storage. This Decision also makes a determination regarding a non-significant Forest Plan amendment to adjust the size and configuration ofthe Virginia Lake and Madan Old-Growth Reserves (OGRs). Background The Madan Project area is entirely within an inventoried roadless area on the Tongass National Forest. Due to recent decisions and litigation, several changes in the Forest Service direction occurred between the Draft EIS and Final EIS, as follows. • Modifications were made throughout the document to make the project consistent with the 1997 Record ofDecision for the Tongass National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). At the time ofthe Draft EIS publication, the 1999 Record ofDecision for the Forest Plan was in effect. In AFA v. USDA (J99-0013 CV [JKS]), the U.S. District Court, District ofAlaska vacated the 1999 Record ofDecision for the Tongass Forest Plan and upheld the 1997 Record ofDecision. The Madan project is consistent with the 1997 Forest Plan Record ofDecision. • Currently, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule applies to the Tongass National Forest. This rule generally prohibits timber harvest and road building. The rule adopts mitigation measures to assure a smooth transition for forest dependent communities in Southeast Alaska. The final rule provides that prohibitions do not apply to the Tongass National Forest where a notice ofavailability for a draft environmental impact statement (for timber harvest or road building in an inventoried roadless area) has been published in the Federal Register prior to January 12, 2001 The notice ofavailability for the Madan . Timber Sale draft environmental impact statement was published on June 23, 2000, so this project may proceed pursuant to 36 CFR 294.14(d). Madan Timber Sale Record of Decision ROD 1 Record of Decision Purpose and Need The purpose and need for this project is to respond to goals and objectives identified by the Forest Plan for the timber resource, while moving the project area toward the desired future condition for all resources. The Forest Plan identified the following goals and objectives, which are applicable to the Madan project: • Manage the Tongass timber resource for production ofsawtimber and other wood products from suitable timber lands made available for timber harvest, on an even-flow, long-term sustained yield basis and in an economically efficient manner. • Seek to provide a timber supply sufficient to meet the annual market demand for Tongass National Forest timber, and the demand for the planning cycle. • Recognize the scenic values ofsuitable timber lands viewed from selected popular roads, trails, water travel routes, recreation sites, bays and anchorages, and to modify timber harvest practices accordingly. • Maintain and promote industrial wood production from suitable timber lands, providing a continuous supply ofwood to meet society's needs. • Provide a diversity ofopportunities for resource uses that contribute to the local and regional economies ofSoutheast Alaska. • Support a wide range ofnatural resource employment opportunities within Southeast Alaska communities. • Maintain a Forest-wide system ofold-growth forest habitat to sustain old-growth associated species, and ensure that the reserve system meets the minimum size, spacing and composition criteria in Appendix K ofthe Forest Plan. Appendix A ofthe Final EIS provides a more detailed rationale for why the Madan Project Area was selected for analysis at this time. Further clarification can be found in the next section regarding this project's relationship to the Forest Plan. Section 101 ofthe Tongass Timber Reform Act of 1990 (TTRA) directs the USDA Forest Service “....to the extent consistent with providing for multiple use sustain yield ofall renewable forest resources, seekto provide a supply oftimber from the Tongass National Forest which (1) meets the annual market demand for timber from such forest and (2) meets the market demand from such forest for each planning cycle.” Section 101 ofTTRA specifies that Forest Service efforts to seek to meet market demand are subject to appropriations, National Forest Management Act requirements, and other applicable laws. Providing a timber supply fromthe Tongass for sustained local wood products, industry employment, and related economic and social benefits, helps meet the Forest Plan objective of supporting a wide range ofnatural resource employment opportunities within Southeast Alaska’s communities. Decision It is my decision to choose Alternative 2, with modifications that incorporate some ofthe design features ofAlternative 3, as the Selected Alternative for implementation in the Madan Project Area. The Selected Alternative is based on a thorough review ofthe project analysis and on agency and ROD 2 Madan Timber Sale Record of Decision