Kuiu Timber Sale Area Summary • 1 

Summary 

Background 

The Forest Plan embodies the provisions of the National Forest 

Management Act (NFMA), its implementing regulations, and other 

guiding documents. The Forest Plan sets forth in detail the direction 

for managing the land and resources of the Tongass National Forest, 

and this EIS tiers to the 1997 Forest Plan and 1993 Forest Plan SEIS. 

The process of remedying the shortcomings identified by the Ninth 

Circuit Court of Appeals is in progress with a Forest Plan Amendment 

DEIS released in January 2007. The current revised Forest Plan allows 

for the activities in the Kuiu Project Area to take place. Delaying 

planning and analysis regarding road building and timber harvest, even 

for a short time period, have a significant effect on the amount of 

timber available for sale in the next year, due to the time needed for 

sale preparation, appraisal and advertisement and to account for the 

time period when sale areas are typically inaccessible (winter months). 

Delayed project analyses affect other projects “in line” for 

consideration, creating impacts to the entire sale program several years 

into the future. Delayed project analyses also diminish the Forest 

Service’s ability to respond to the on-going timber demand since the 

analyses are time-consuming. The Kuiu project includes consideration 

of an alternative that does not directly affect roadless areas. The Kuiu 

FEIS will be reviewed for consistency with the Forest Plan 

Amendment decision following the procedures in the Forest Service 

Handbook FSH 1909.15 Section 18. Any portions of this project will 

be adjusted as necessary to be consistent with the management 

direction in the Forest Plan Amendment decision. 

Project Area 

The Kuiu Timber Sale Area (Project Area) is located on north Kuiu 

Island, on the Petersburg Ranger District, Tongass National Forest, 

Alaska Region (Region 10) of the Forest Service, an agency of the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (see Vicinity Map, Figure 1-1). 

Proposed Action 

The Proposed Action for the Project Area (Alternative 4) is for the sale 

and harvest of approximately 33.3 million board feet (mmbf) of 
FEIS Summary 

2 • Summary Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS

sawlog and utility volume from 1,387 acres of National Forest System 

land. This harvest would require about 3.9 miles of temporary road 

construction, and 6.5 miles of NFS road construction. The logs would 

be hauled by truck to existing log transfer facilities (LTFs) at Rowan 

Bay or Saginaw Bay for shipment. Timber from this project would be 

offered through the Tongass National Forest timber sale program. 

The Proposed Action includes adjusting the boundary of three small 

old-growth habitat reserves (OGRs) in or adjacent to the Project Area 

to meet Forest Plan criteria. The proposed adjustments would result in 

changes to the size of the OGRs (see Chapter 3, Wildlife). Any 

proposed OGR adjustments would require a non-significant 

amendment to the Forest Plan. 

Decisions to be Made 

Based on the environmental analysis in this EIS, the Forest Supervisor 

will decide whether and how to implement activities within the Project 

Area in accordance with Forest Plan goals, objectives, and desired 

conditions. The decision may include: 

• The location, design, scheduling, amount, and method of timber 

harvest, NFS and temporary road construction and closure, LTFs, 

and silvicultural practices, 

• Any necessary project-specific mitigation measures and 

monitoring requirements, 

• A determination of whether there may be a significant possibility 

of a significant restriction on subsistence uses, and 

• Whether any changes in the small OGRs in VCUs 398, 399, or 402 

should be made and approved as a non-significant amendment to 

the Forest Plan. 

Purpose and Need 

The project would achieve goals and objectives described in the Forest 

Plan, and help realize desired conditions described in that plan. Forestwide goals and objectives (Forest Plan, pp. 2-3 and 2-4) that this 

proposed action would achieve include the following: 

• Provide for a vigorous and healthy forest environment, including 

management of the timber resource for production of saw timber 

and other wood products from suitable lands made available for 

timber harvest on an even-flow, long-term sustained yield basis, 

and in an economically efficient manner, 
 FEIS Summary 

Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS Summary • 3 

• Ensure that the small OGR system criteria meets the minimum 

size, spacing, and composition, 

• Provide diverse opportunities for resource uses that contribute to 

the local and regional economies of Southeast Alaska, supporting a 

wide range of natural-resource employment opportunities within 

Southeast Alaska’s communities. 

Public Involvement 

The following is a summary of the public involvement activities for 

the Kuiu Time Sale. 

• The project has been included in the Tongass National Forest 

Timber Sale Plan since 2004 and was first placed on the Spring 

2004 Schedule of Proposed Actions (SOPA). 

• Comments made during the 2005 Kuiu Landscape Assessment 

scoping and open house events were considered. 

• Public scoping began in February 2004. 

• Open houses that included information about the Kuiu Timber Sale 

were held in Petersburg in March 2004, December 2004, and June 

2005. Open houses were held in Kake in June and November of 

2004. 

• A Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 

was published in the Federal Register on August 9, 2004. On 

September 14, 2004, a revised Notice of Intent was published. 

• A subsistence hearing for the Kuiu Timber Sale Area was held in 

Petersburg, Alaska on March 16, 2006 at the Petersburg City 

Council Chambers. Another subsistence hearing was held in Kake, 

Alaska at the Organized Village of Kake office on March 21, 2006. 

Changes Made Between the Draft EIS 

and the Final EIS 

• Reclassified up to 6.5 miles of temporary road construction as new 

National Forest System (NFS) roads based on a re-evaluation of 

the Project Area’s long-term management needs. 

• Due to a calculation error in the DEIS, total miles of new NFS and 

temporary road construction decreased from a maximum of 19 

miles to a maximum of 10.4 miles in the FEIS. 

• Due to soil stability analyses, unit boundaries were revised in Units 

101, 207, 303 and 305 to avoid unstable slopes. 
FEIS Summary 

4 • Summary Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS

• Acres were dropped in Units 204 and 208b to form a buffer 

between these two units to ensure no opening would exceed 100 

acres. 

• Issue 2 was refined to be more responsive to public comments. 

• Timber volume estimates were revised based on reduced acreage. 

• The timber sale economics analysis was updated due to 1) the use 

of NEAT_R (Version 2.10) which uses the residual value appraisal 

method and 2) the allowance of interstate shipping. 

• In response to the allowance of interstate shipping, helicopter 

economic mitigations that left all trees less than 16 inches diameter 

at breast height (DBH) and western hemlock greater than 36 inches 

DBH were dropped. 

• In accordance with the settlement agreement between NRDC vs 

US Forest Service, the Crane and Rowan Mountain Timber Sales 

ROD was withdrawn. This withdrawal occurred after the analysis 

for the FEIS was complete; therefore, where appropriate, the 

unharvested Crane and Rowan units are included as reasonably 

foreseeable activities in the cumulative analyses. 

• Additional information was added, where appropriate, as requested 

through comments on the Draft EIS. 

Significant Issues 

Significant issues are used to formulate and design alternatives, 

prescribe mitigation measures, and analyze significant effects. 

Significant issues for the Kuiu Timber Sale have been identified 

through public and internal scoping. Similar issues are combined 

where appropriate. 

The Forest Supervisor determined four significant issues within the 

scope of the Kuiu Timber Sale decision. These issues are addressed 

through the proposed action and the alternatives and are as follows: 

• Issue 1- Inventoried Roadless Areas, 

• Issue 2-Deer Habitat and Subsistence Use, 

• Issue 3-Timber Harvest Economics, and 

• Issue 4-Cumulative Watershed Effects. 

Issue 1 relates to timber harvest and the related construction of new 

roads to facilitate timber harvest in roadless areas or in the smaller 

unroaded areas (Figure 3-1). 
 FEIS Summary 

Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS Summary • 5 

Issue 2 relates to cumulative effects on deer habitat and connectivity 

from past, present, and proposed activities, and the resulting effects on 

subsistence uses. 

Issue 3 relates to the economic viability of the proposed timber sale or 

sales. It also relates to the potential employment and the revenue 

generated for communities in the area. If proposed timber harvest 

alternatives are not designed to be economically viable across 

fluctuating market conditions, there is concern that the forest products 

industry in Southeast Alaska cannot remain viable. 

Watersheds within the Project Area have high value for fisheries. Two 

of the watersheds within the Project Area exceed 20 percent 

cumulative harvest within the last 30 years. 

Small OGRs 

The small OGRs mapped in the Forest Plan FEIS have been evaluated 

for size, spacing, and habitat composition. An interagency review by 

biologists from the USDA Forest Service, Alaska Department of Fish 

and Game (ADF&G), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(USFWS) determined that alternative small OGRs within VCUs 398, 

399, and 402 would better meet the requirements for size, 

connectivity, and acres of productive old-growth habitat. The review 

team recommended that the boundaries of the existing small OGRs be 

adjusted. All action alternatives would require a non-significant Forest 

Plan Amendment to adopt these recommendations. 

The modified interagency OGR for VCU 398 would be approximately 

2,305 acres, compared to 2,237 acres identified in the Forest Plan. 

The modified interagency OGR for VCU 399 would be approximately 

4,159 acres, compared to 2,628 acres identified in the Forest Plan. 

The modified interagency OGR for VCU 402 would be approximately 

5,273 acres, compared to 4,044 acres identified in the Forest Plan. 

Alternatives Considered in Detail 

The No-Action (Alternative 1), Proposed Action (Alternative 4) and 

three other action alternatives were considered in detail. Figures 2-1 

through 2-5 display the five alternatives. Tables 2-1 and 2-2 compare 

the proposed activities and effects of the alternatives. 

Alternative 1 proposes no timber harvest, road construction, changes 

to road management objectives, changes to small Old-growth Reserves 

(OGRs), or other activities within the Project Area at this time. It 

represents the existing condition of the Project Area, and does not 

preclude future timber harvest or other activities from this area. 

Alternative 1 
FEIS Summary 

6 • Summary Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS

Alternative 2 was developed to minimize impacts to wildlife and 

watersheds, and to have no direct effects to inventoried roadless areas 

or unroaded areas. The proposed timber harvest would result in the 

production of approximately 9.6 million board feet (mmbf) of timber 

from approximately 477 acres. Only ground-based logging systems 

would be used. The amount of trees remaining in a unit after harvest 

would vary from zero to fifty percent of the stand’s pre-harvest basal 

area. 

To provide stand structure for wildlife habitat, approximately 50 

percent of the stand basal area would be retained where operationally 

feasible. Harvest units in the Recreational River Land Use Designation 

(LUD) would retain 50 percent of the stand basal area to maintain 

scenic values. Logs would be transported to an existing Logging 

Transfer Facility (LTF) in either Saginaw Bay or Rowan Bay. 

Approximately 1.8 miles of NFS road and 1.5 miles of temporary road 

construction would be necessary for timber harvest. Road construction 

would not cross any Class I or II fish streams in this alternative. 

Additionally, approximately 4.1 miles of roads currently closed (Roads 

6417, 6443, 46091, and 46094) would be opened and reconditioned to 

access timber. This would require the installation of three crossing 

structures on Class I streams, and three crossing structures on Class II 

streams. Road construction and reconditioning would require 

placement of one crossing structure on a Class III stream, and five 

crossing structures on Class IV streams. 

After timber harvest activities are complete, all new and reconditioned 

NFS roads would be closed and all temporary roads would be 

decommissioned. In addition, approximately 7.8 miles of currently 

open roads that would be used to access timber for this project would 

be closed to motorized traffic and placed in storage (Roads 6413, 

46021, and 46096). 

Included in Alternative 2, the boundaries of three small OGRs (in 

VCUs 398, 399, and 402) were adjusted by an interagency group of 

biologists to meet Forest Plan criteria. 

Alternative 3 was developed by modifying Alternatives 2 and 4 to 

reduce impacts to resources such as wildlife, hydrology, and fisheries 

while providing a larger economic return. The proposed timber harvest 

would result in the production of approximately 15.9 mmbf of timber 

from approximately 786 acres. Only ground-based logging systems 

would be used. The amount of trees remaining in a unit after harvest 

would vary from zero to fifty percent of the stand’s pre-harvest basal 

area. 

To provide stand structure for wildlife habitat, approximately 50 

percent of the stand basal area would be retained where operationally 

Alternative 2 

Alternative 3 
 FEIS Summary 

Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS Summary • 7 

feasible. Logs would be transported to existing LTFs in either 

Saginaw Bay or Rowan Bay. 

Approximately 5.4 miles of NFS road and 2.1 miles of temporary road 

construction would be necessary for timber harvest. One bridge would 

be placed across a Class II fish stream on NFS Road 46030 to reduce 

potential impacts to fish. About 3.0 miles of roads currently in storage 

would be reconditioned to access timber (Roads 6417, 46091, and 

46094). The opening of these roads would require the installation of 

two crossing structures on Class I streams and three crossing structures 

on Class II streams. Road construction and reconditioning would 

require placement of eight crossing structures on Class III streams, and 

19 crossing structures on Class IV streams. 

After timber harvest activities are complete, all new and reopened NFS 

roads would be closed and all temporary roads would be 

decommissioned In addition, approximately 8 miles of currently open 

roads that would be used to access timber for this project would be 

closed to motorized traffic (Roads 6413, 6418, and 46096). 

Included in Alternative 3, the boundaries of three small OGRs (in 

VCUs 398, 399, and 402) were adjusted by an interagency group of 

biologists to meet Forest Plan criteria. 

The Proposed Action for the Kuiu Timber Sale would result in the 

production of approximately 33.3 mmbf of timber from approximately 

1,387 acres. A mix of ground-based and helicopter logging systems 

would be used. Helicopter logging would be used to access units on 

steeper ground. Helicopter use reduces the need for road construction 

and allows a more selective harvest on steeper slopes. The amount of 

trees remaining in a unit after harvest would vary from zero to fifty 

percent of the stand’s pre-harvest basal area. 

To provide stand structure for wildlife habitat, approximately 50 

percent of the stand basal area would be retained where operationally 

feasible. Harvested units in the Recreational River LUD would retain 

50 percent of the stand’s basal area for scenic values. Where helicopter 

logging is specified, 50 percent of the stand basal area would be left to 

improve economics. Logs would be transported to existing LTFs in 

either Saginaw Bay or Rowan Bay. 

Approximately 6.5 miles of NFS road and 3.9 miles of temporary road 

construction would be necessary for timber harvest. Road construction 

would require the installation of two crossing structures across Class II 

fish streams. Additionally, 6.1 miles of roads currently closed would 

be reconditioned to access timber (Roads 6417, 6422, 6443, 46091, 

and a portion of 6427). This would require the installation of three 

crossing structures on Class I streams, and three crossing structures on 

Class II streams. Road construction and reconditioning would require 

Alternative 4 

Proposed 

Action 
FEIS Summary 

8 • Summary Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS

placement of 14 crossing structures on Class III streams, and 19 

crossing structures on Class IV streams. 

After timber harvest activities are complete, all new and reconditioned 

NFS roads would be closed and all temporary roads would be 

decommissioned. In addition, after timber harvest is complete, 10.5 

miles of roads that are currently open and would be used to access 

timber for this project would be closed to motorized traffic (Roads 

6413, 6418, 46021, 46096, and a portion of 6427). 

Included in Alternative 4, the boundaries of three small OGRs (in 

VCUs 398, 399, and 402) were adjusted by an interagency group of 

biologists to meet Forest Plan criteria. 

Alternative 5 proposes even-aged management with clearcut 

harvesting of timber to increase the economic return. The proposed 

timber harvest would result in the production of approximately 31.4 

mmbf of timber from approximately 1,208 acres. Only ground-based 

logging systems would be used. Logs would be transported to existing 

LTFs in either Saginaw Bay or Rowan Bay. 

Approximately 6.5 miles of NFS road and 3.5 miles of temporary road 

construction would be necessary for timber harvest. Road construction 

would require the installation of two crossing structures across Class II 

fish streams. Additionally, 6.1 miles of roads currently closed would 

be reconditioned to access timber (Roads 6417, 6422, 6443, 46091, 

46094, and a portion of 6427). This would require the installation of 

three crossing structures on Class I streams, and three crossing 

structures on Class II streams. Road construction and reconditioning 

would require placement of 15 crossing structures on Class III streams, 

and 19 crossing structures on Class IV streams. 

After timber harvest activities are complete, all new and reconditioned 

NFS roads would be closed and all temporary roads would be 

decommissioned. In addition, after timber harvest is complete, 10.5 

miles of currently open roads that would be used to access timber for 

this project would be closed to motorized traffic (Roads 6413, 6418, 

46021, 46096, and a portion of 6427). 

Included in Alternative 5, the boundaries of three small OGRs (in 

VCUs 398, 399, and 402) were adjusted by an interagency group of 

biologists to meet Forest Plan criteria. 

Design Criteria Common to All Action 

Alternatives 

All alternatives, including the Proposed Action, are consistent with the 

Tongass Land and Resource Management Plan. All applicable Forest 

Alternative 5 
 FEIS Summary 

Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS Summary • 9 

Plan Standards and Guidelines have been incorporated into the design 

of the proposed units and alternatives. Additional direction comes 

from applicable laws and Forest Service Manuals and Handbooks. 

Site-specific descriptions and resource considerations for each 

potential harvest unit are included as Unit Cards in Appendix B. These 

Unit Cards serve as the prescription or design narrative for the project. 

Design elements for NFS roads are also described in detail in 

Appendix B. 
FEIS Summary 

10 • Summary Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS

Table S-1. Proposed activities by alternative for the Kuiu Timber Sale Area 

Alternative 

Proposed Activity 

1 2 3 4 5 

Acres of Timber Harvested by Treatment 

Even-aged 

Management Clearcut 0 197 409 1,025 1,208 

Single tree selection - 50% 

basal area retention 0 87 72 193 0 

Uneven-aged 

Management Group selection - 50% basal 

area retention 0 19 19 41 0 

Two-aged 

Management 

Clearcut with reserves - 50% 

area retention 0 175 286 128 0 

Total Acres 0 478 786 1,387 1,208

Acres of timber harvest by logging system 

Cable 0 395 751 1,092 1,059

Shovel 0 83 35 147 149

Helicopter 0 0 0 148 0

Miles of road maintenance/reconditioning/construction 

Maintenance: miles of open NFS roads after harvest 56.2 48.0 47.8 45.2 45.2 

Reconditioned: existing NFS roads (closed after harvest) 0 4.1 3.0 6.1 6.8 

New Construction: NFS road (closed after harvest) 0 1.8 5.4 6.5 6.5 

New Construction: temporary roads (decommissioned 

after harvest) 0 1.5 2.1 3.9 3.5 

Miles of road closure 

NFS Roads (Maintenance Level 2 or above) 0 7.8 8.0 10.5 10.5
 FEIS Summary 

Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS Summary • 11 

Table S-2. Comparison of alternatives by issue and effects 

Units of Measure Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3 Alt 4 Alt 5 

Issue 1 – Roadless Areas 

Acres harvested within Inventoried 

Roadless Area (IRA) 0 0 67 207 114 

Miles of NFS roads constructed within 

IRA 0 0 0.06 0.33 0.33 

Miles of temporary roads constructed 

within IRA 0 0 0.12 0.13 0.13 

Percent of affected IRA including 

zones of influence (600’ for harvest, 

1,200’ for roads) 

0 0 3% 6% 4% 

Change in IRA roadless 

characteristics? No No No No No 

IRA still eligible for Wilderness 

designation? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 

Acres harvested within unroaded 

areas 

0 0 68 167 167 

Miles of NFS roads constructed in 

unroaded areas 0 0 0.55 0.55 0.55 

Miles of temporary roads constructed 

within unroaded areas 0 0 0.09 0.3 0.3 

Issue 2 – Deer Habitat and Subsistence Use 

Acres of POG maintained within the 

WAA 90,586 90,379 89,800 89,199 89,648 

Acres of important deer winter range 

(HSI = 0.60 – 1.0) remaining after 

harvest in WAA 5012 

21,971 21,843 21,841 21,660 21,725 

Subsistence 

Implementations of any action alternative for this project, in 

combination with past and reasonably foreseeable future 

timber harvest, will not likely result in a significant restriction 

on subsistence use of resources. However the Forest Plan 

predicts that by completing the harvest schedules at the end 

of the rotation (2095) there may be possible future restrictions 

for subsistence hunting for deer. 
FEIS Summary 

12 • Summary Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS

Table S-2. Comparison of alternatives by issue and effects (continued) 

Units of Measure Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3 Alt 4 Alt 5 

Issue 3 – Timber Harvest Economics 

Amount of volume (mbf) 0 9,617 15,859 33,300 31,354 

Indicated bid ($/mbf) to Rowan Bay LTF 0 ($157.99) ($179.99) ($155.11) ($141.28) 

Indicated bid ($/mbf) to Saginaw Bay LTF 0 ($136.27) ($158.94) ($136.71) (126.92) 

Total Logging Costs per mbf (including 

road costs) to Rowan Bay LTF 0 $397.10 $417.05 $393.10 $378.35 

Total Logging Costs per mbf (including 

road costs) to Saginaw Bay LTF 0 $375.38 $396.00 $374.70 $361.28 

Road costs per mbf (construction and 

reconstruction) to Rowan Bay LTF 0 $59.94 $79.52 $49.28 $54.09 

Road costs per mbf (construction and 

reconstruction) to Saginaw Bay LTF 0 $59.94 $79.52 $49.28 $54.09 

Issue 4 – Cumulative Watershed Harvest Since 1977 

Acres of extreme risk hazard (MMI-4) soils 

in units 0 0 0 14 18 

Cumulative timber harvest acres - % of 

Dean Creek Watershed (WS) 24.0 24.0 24.0 26.7 26.7 

Cumulative timber harvest acres - % of 

Saginaw Creek Watershed (WS) 8.2 9.4 12.4 13.3 12.2 

Cumulative timber harvest acres - % of WS 

#109-45-10090 18.8 19.9 18.8 23.4 23.4 

Cumulative timber harvest acres - % of WS 

#109-44-10370 8.3 10.8 10.6 10.8 10.8 

Cumulative timber harvest acres - % of 

Security Creek 22.5 23.3 24.4 25.2 25.2 

Cumulative timber harvest acres - % of 

Kadake Creek Watershed 17.3 17.7 17.8 18.2 17.9 
 FEIS Summary 

Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS Summary • 13 

Table S-2. Comparison of alternatives by issue and effects (continued) 

Units of Measure Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3 Alt 4 Alt 5 

Other Environmental Considerations 

Effects on TES Species Activities may impact individual goshawks but would not result in 

a trend toward listing. No effect for other species. 

Effects on Wildlife 

Project Area open road density (mi/mi2) 0.78 0.67 0.66 0.63 0.63 

WAA 5012 open road density (mi/mi2) 0.46 0.42 0.42 0.41 0.41 

Acres of high value marten habitat (HSI > 

0.89) after harvest in WAA 5012 51,614 51,211 50,984 50,438 50,676 

Acres of coarse canopy old-growth that 

would remain after harvest in the WAA 22,956 22,738 22,629 22,172 22,415 

Acres low elevation / high value wildlife 

(POG below 800 feet) that would remain 

after harvest in the WAA 

22,956 22,637 22,547 21,913 22,259 

Effects on Water Quality 

Number of Class I stream crossings on 

closed roads and proposed temporary 

roads 

0 3 2 3 3 

Number of Class II stream crossings on 

closed roads and proposed temporary 

roads 

0 3 4 5 5 

Number of Class III stream crossings on 

closed roads and proposed temporary 

roads 

0 1 8 14 15 

Number of Class IV stream crossings on 

closed roads and proposed temporary 

roads

0 5 19 19 19 

Miles of temporary road construction 0 1.5 2.1 3.9 3.5 

Miles of currently open roads placed in 

storage (structures removed and roads 

waterbarred) 

0 8.2 8.4 11.0 11.0 

Effects on Recreation None 

Effects on Scenery 

Acres harvested in Recreational River 

LUD 0 18 0 49 0 

Effects on Heritage Resources None 

Effects on Land Status None