[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 22, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E866]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        ALASKA STATE FOREST PRACTICES ACT PROTECTS FISH HABITAT

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                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 21, 1996

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I want to bring the attention of my 
colleagues to a new study. The study details the effect of modern 
logging techniques under the State of Alaska's Forest Practices Act on 
fish streams throughout Alaska.
  This is a significant study. It shows that Alaska can handle forest 
management to protect fish and fish streams. It shows that logging 
under State standards does not have an adverse impact on fish habitat 
and stream conditions. It shows that logging on State and private land 
in Alaska is compatible with fisheries protection.
  The study is one more reason why Alaskans should be given a chance to 
elect to own and manage the Tongass National Forest, which is what my 
bill, H.R. 2413, proposes. If Alaskan policies and rules are achieving 
these results, the State ownership of the Tongass will more than 
protect fish streams when timber harvesting is involved. And 
Washington, DC policies and programs can stay where they originate--
inside the Washington, DC beltway.
  The study was conducted by an Alaska Native corporation, Sealaska, on 
land managed under State law. Alaska State law requires 66-foot or 100-
foot no timber harvest buffer zones around fish streams.
  What distinguishes this study from many others is that it relies on 
actual stream surveys taken over a 3-year period, 1992-94, in timber 
harvest areas and unlogged areas. The group conducting the study 
actually went out and collected real data, something that our Federal 
researchers in the Forest Service should note.
  Stream health was analyzed in 10 basins and the conclusion was that 
the changes comparing logged and unlogged basins was not discernible. 
Where disturbances have occurred, they have not resulted in fish stream 
productivity.
  The article from this month's Resource Review that discusses the 
study follows my remarks. What this teaches is that States can 
effectively manage resources within their boarders. In my view Alaskans 
should be given the chance to manage the Tongass and other States or 
local governments should be given lands within their boarders.
  Management decisions and policies made by the people and closest to 
the people--outside of the influence of Washington, DC--are the best 
management decisions and policies.

Multi-year Study Concludes Alaska's Forest Practices Act Protects Fish, 
                             Stream Habitat

       A recent multi-year study has concluded that modern logging 
     operations adhering to the guidelines of the Alaska Forest 
     Practices Act (FPA) do not have an adverse impact on fish 
     habitat and stream channel conditions.
       Prepared by Pentec Environmental for Sealaska Corporation 
     and the Alaska Forest Association, the report evaluates the 
     effectiveness of the FPA in protecting fish habitat and 
     channel conditions. The report consolidates the findings of 
     1992, 1993 and 1994 monitoring studies and is part of a 
     continuing investigation that will provide information on FPA 
     effectiveness in both the short and long term.
       The FPA specifies best management practices (BMP) for 
     loggers to follow in preventing significant adverse effects 
     from timber harvest activities on habitat and water quality. 
     In 1992, Pentec was contracted to develop and implement a 
     monitoring program to collect data on fish habitat and 
     channel conditions from streams in forested lands of coastal 
     Alaska. The objectives of the monitoring program were to 
     determine whether fish habitat conditions have changed as a 
     result of forest practices and whether habitat quality has 
     been significantly affected by timber operations.
       From 1992 and 1994, stream surveys were conducted in 
     selected timber management areas of Southeast Alaska, the 
     Kenai Peninsula and Afognak Island. Stream basins with 
     varying levels of timber harvest were surveyed during each 
     year, and annual surveys were repeated on several streams.
       The results of the Pentec study are based on three years of 
     data that was collected within one of seven years following 
     initiation of timber harvest activities. The data was 
     collected from over 27 miles of streams in 10 different 
     basins.
       The report finds the only change that is certain is the 
     increase in large woody debris (LWD) from the riparian buffer 
     in some logged streams as a result of blowdown. The increased 
     LWD is not expected to have a negative effect on fish habitat 
     because the channel changes are local and the amount of 
     stream length affected in small.
       The study found that other habitat conditions have changed 
     in stream reaches of both logged and unlogged basins, but the 
     magnitude and direction of these changes are not discernible 
     at this time. The monitoring results suggest no large habitat 
     disturbances have occurred to date and that any disturbances 
     that may have occurred are relatively subtle. None of the 
     changes have occurred at a level large enough to affect fish 
     productivity.

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