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Management of the Tongass National Forest follows the guidance of the Tongass Land Management Plan, first completed in 1979 and most recently modified in 2016. The plan incorporates an adaptive management strategy and that has been reviewed and amended a number of times over the years. Forest Plan updates reflect changing conditions, information and requirements, to provide for long-term resource sustainability as well as the economic and social needs of the public.
Projects are planned, with help from stakeholders, to foster the continued health of the forest and to provide commodities and experiences to people who visit the largest national forest - from those who depend on and are surrounded by the Tongass to those who live throughout the nation.
You can sign up to receive NEPA Project Updates by email (see the “Sign Up for Project Updates button below”). Thank you for staying connected.
Once decisions have been made, they are posted electronically through each project listing below. Decisions on objections are also posted online.
Due to the fact that some of these files are so large, you may find it useful to right click and download or save the document(s) off to your own computer.
Note: Not all projects may appear on the map. See the list below for a more complete list.
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Sign up to receive email updates on selected projects being planned on the
Tongass National Forest
The Forest Service follows NEPA regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Under this rule, Forest Service officials determine which proposed projects are shared for public input.
The agency no longer issues a schedule of proposed actions (SOPA) report. Below is the current list of proposed projects available for review—your opportunity to learn more, share feedback, and stay engaged in decisions that shape the future of our public lands.
Improve Amalga Trail from mile 1.45 to mile 5.56, known as sections 3 to 6. Other improvements include improving signage, and establishing several rest areas along the trail.
Remove culverts and replace with new structures at 2 sites, add large wood to stream channel and remove aggregate fill from the floodplain. Hand crews would complete most of the work, but heavy equipment and blasting may be needed to remove culverts.
Expand existing parking lot, add new parking areas, and construct about 750 feet of new road to improve traffic flow and user safety, and meet capacity demands at the Cannon Beach Recreation Site.
Proposed salvage timber sale within in a blow down area adjacent to NFS road 8530. The harvest area would include 3 units and provide approximately 88 thousand board feet of timber from about 25 acres.
Proposal to continue authorizing exploration activities by Zarembo Minerals Co. on Zarembo Island until July 2023. Activities to continue include surface exploration and drilling, use of a closed spur road, and onsite storage of drilling equipment.
Following the purchase of 22,890 acres, the District proposes to restore and preserve wilderness character in the Cube Cove portion of the Kootznoowoo Wilderness through re-establishing hydrologic function.
Federal Aviation Administration has requested to reconstruct and/or replace the VHF Omni-directional Range (VOR) counterpoise on Level Island. The design would be the same as the current structure.
Construct a new recreation cabin at False Bay, on Chichagof Island, approximately 25 miles from Hoonah Alaska on FS Road 8530. Proposed features include: cabin, vault toilet, woodshed, picnic table/fire ring, parking area, access trails and buoy.
Hecla Greens Creek Mining Company proposes to extend the existing dry-stack tailings disposal facility and incorporate waste rock co-disposal techniques in a northward direction for additional tailings and waste rock storage capacity.
Construct a new recreation cabin accessible to the public by helicopter or by foot via a 4.4-mile hike on the Herbert Glacier Trail. Other infrastructure includes a vault-style outhouse, a gathering area, a helicopter landing site and access trails.
Install an underground Forest Service-owned and operated fiber optic cable between the district office building and Bunkhouse A, and between Bunkhouses A and B.
Annually, for the next 5 yrs, extract 200 to 300 native western redcedar seedlings growing on the roadbed of National Forest System road 6041. Plant along the Kake road system in areas disturbed by management activities. Only handtools would be used.
Replace the potable water system for several Forest Service administrative buildings and a small school. Includes improvement of water reservoir, channel spillway and filtration treatment system.
Approximately 5 miles of FS Road 6265 (Nemo-Skip Loop Road) & associated culverts will be repaired. Current wood waste road base will be replaced with more stable gravel surface, as well as other activities associated with road stabilization.
Construct a group shelter and three-sided shelter at existing roadside day use sites adjacent to Pats Lake. Both sites would include a vault toilet and parking area.
Construct 1/2 mile of trail to connect existing Pats Creek Trail to National Forest System road 6259. Construction includes aggregate, concrete steps and elevated boardwalk. Up to three spur trails proposed leading to wildlife viewing platforms.
Hecla Greens Creek Mining Co. proposes to install 14" dia. 1474' long treated water outfall pipeline, within their existing, permitted 30' wide ROW on NFS lands. This pipe would be permitted for the purposes of overflow and maintenance only, as requested, and would not be the primary outfall pipe.
To make 70 acres available for community access to small-scale timber sales utilizing ground-based logging systems without the use of heavy machinery to harvest. Multiple small sales provide for opportunities for harvest of firewood, sawlogs and other timber products for commercial use.
The activity for the Apex-El Nido Exploration project entails conducting hard rock exploration through diamond core drilling. It is anticipated a maximum of 15 holes will be drilled.
Bonnie Brae Trail Rehabilitation project will rehabilitate and harden an existing trail mostly within the existing trail prism, except where minor reroutes or switchbacks are needed. This trail connects the Bonnie Brae area to Treadwell Ditch Trail.
Due to the increasing annual glacial outburst flood event, the City and Borough of Juneau proposes emergency flood barrier construction of either HESCO barriers or a berm/levee parallel to the north of Backloop Road extending approximately 1,500 feet east of the bridge on state ROW and NFS lands.
Project will complete trail maintenance and repairs on the Deer Mountain Trail from the trailhead to the first overlook, a distance of approximately one mile. Trail maintenance may include brushing and logging out the trail, and cleaning culverts and drainage ditches.
The Forest Service is proposing a multi-year project involving a variety of timber harvest, road construction, watershed restoration and recreation activities.
This project includes construction of 1 new temporary road on Forest Service lands and reconstruction of 1 existing temporary road on Forest Service lands for easement access to State of Alaska planned timber sales. Anticipated timing is summer FY26 & FY27.
The proposed action is expected to produce about 26.8 million board feet of timber from approximately 1,655 acres of National Forest System lands in the Staney and Red Bay areas within the Thorne Bay RD. Other activities include road construction, reconstruction, maintenance and decommissioning.
The overall objective of this project is to create a small-scale timber sale opportunity that benefits local operators and sawmills, while addressing ongoing environmental and safety issues. In addition to utilizing the naturally available salvage material, the project will facilitate access to the
The Thorne Bay Ranger District is proposing to harvest approximately 125 acres of old growth live trees due to interest received from a prospective purchaser located on Prince of Wales Island. The area is 10 miles south of Naukati.
Request from the US Border Patrol for a 10-year special use permit to install and maintain cameras to monitor vessels entering and exiting the Taku Inlet.
Proposal to establish 5 temporary storage and stockpile sites on National Forest System land in support of the Neck Lake Rd reconstruction project. Site areas total about 3.25 acres. Materials and improvements would be removed upon permit expiration.
This project would improve wildlife habitat, provide commercial young-growth harvest opportunities, implement riparian and road restoration activities in the project areas, as well as to provide support for employment and economic growth.
Project area is approximately 48 acres, with treatments on approximately 20 acres of young-growth forest around Twelvemile Arm. Decommissioned roads may be reopened to facilitate access.