Head of US Forest Service visits Alaska’s Tongass Forest
Posted July 15, 2019 10:01 pm.
JUNEAU, Alaska — The head of the U.S. Forest Service has visited Alaska’s Tongass National Forest to investigate timber sales.
CoastAlaska reported Monday that U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski hosted Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen during the July 6-7 visit.
Christiansen stopped in Wrangell, Ketchikan and Prince Wales Island as part of a flying visit with Alaska’s senior senator.
Murkowski questioned Christiansen about the service’s southeast Alaska timber sales during budget hearings in May and the women agreed to tour the area together.
The forest service did not receive any bids in a sale of Tongass old growth timber that ended in June.
Industry representatives and supporters spoke with the delegation in Wrangell.
An Alaska Pulp Corporation executive says Christiansen was receptive to concerns over timber supplies for commercial logging.
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The Associated Press