Despite an outcry from residents in the small Prince of Wales Island town, a nearly acre timber sale in and around the city of Whale Pass is poised to go forward.
After months of advocating for changes to the plan, residents are now worried about what their town will look like once cutting begins. Whale Pass is a quiet town, tucked out of the way on the northern tip of Prince of Wales Island. James Greeley lives in town. But Greeley expects an upcoming acre timber sale to change a lot about his town. The sale could become final on April And residents who live on the hillside worry that their houses will face landslides, floods and strong winds.
Greeley lives in one of those houses, and he can see the orange tape marking the clearcut boundary from his kitchen window. Southeast Area Forester Greg Staunton said he expects the hillside to recover quickly. But Staunton said the plan does incorporate wildlife corridors to minimize the impact on deer and fish.
The Division of Forestry published its land use plan last week. Dan Ortiz, I-Ketchikan, and former Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, D-Sitka, both opposed the sale. However, clearcutting the land above their homes would negatively impact the watersheds those households primarily rely on.
Greeley heads the group Friends of Whale Pass, which has led local opposition to the sale. He submitted several written comments and proposals to the division, and participated in the hearing process. If a request for reconsideration is not filed, the sale will be made final on April Search Query Show Search.
