State proposes logging about 950 acres near Fairbanks, including Chena River stands

The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection proposed Oct. 8 to sell timber from about 950 acres in three Fairbanks-area projects, including one along the Chena River. The public notice says the division would pursue commercial sawtimber and fuelwood contracts.

Written comments are due by 4:30 pm Nov. 6. Each preliminary finding says only an affected person who comments in writing during the 30-day period can later appeal or seek reconsideration of the final decision.

The Jenny M/Grange Hall project covers about 385 to 388 acres in nine sales on Tanana Valley State Forest land, about 23 miles east of Fairbanks between Chena Hot Springs Road mileposts 20 and 21 and the river. It would yield about 2.8 million board feet of spruce sawlog plus birch fuelwood. Most sales are winter-only, and cutting would be by clearcut. Logging trucks would use roads that the preliminary finding says begin as residential roads. New winter roads would include ice crossings of the Chena River and Mullen Slough.

Six of those sales border the Chena or Mullen Slough and would get buffers of at least 100 feet. The finding says the Chena supports the most heavily used sport fishery in the Tanana Basin and that "A very robust winter trail network intersects the proposed area." Winter roads would cross trails rather than run along them.

The Bonanza Creek project covers about 544 acres in nine sales along Bonanza Creek Forest Road, about 21 miles southwest of Fairbanks, with about 3.6 million board feet of spruce sawlog and 3,397 cords of fuelwood. Access runs through the University of Alaska Fairbanks Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest, whose researchers use the same roads. The draft forest land use plan says "Heavy logging traffic could impair the quality of access."

Melody Spruce is a 15-acre white spruce sale off Standard Creek Road near the Old Nenana Highway.

The findings say logged areas would regrow naturally, with a check within five years.

The land appeared on the Fairbanks-Delta five-year timber schedule, the planning step described in this outlet's July 26 article. In comments on the schedule as a whole, Gerrid Greenwood and Christine McGuigan asked for smaller cutting units that keep pockets of mature trees, which they said would lessen the visual impact, benefit wildlife and improve regrowth. The Department of Natural Resources land division flagged University of Alaska and Woodwell Climate Research Center permits for long-term ecological research in two sections that include part of one Bonanza Creek sale. The forestry division answered that if it moves forward, it will consult the university.

The division must adopt final findings before any timber is sold.