The Wrangell sentinel., 1956-02-24
FOREST SERVICE REPORTS BIG YEAR PAST:
 BIC GER YEAR COMING

Reviewing events of the past year this week, District Ranger -Ial Hardy. of the U s. Forest Ser -ce, reported an increased volume
 business. with all indications pointing to sizable increases in the year just starting. The big activity Eas in timber and the Petersburg District increased its harvest from
 million board feet in 1854 to 23
 dillon beard feet in 1855. The ext two years are expected to nore than double the record cut
 Ist experienced.
 Paciuc Northern Timber Company confirmed its preliminary award for three billion board feet of timber y qualiIylng with financial snow 4ngs and acceptable plant consuuc- ,ion for final award The contract was signed March P, and construc- ,IOn of the plant may now go al lead. In June, the company import ed q special plane and photograph lc experts 10 make d series of aer- ial photographs from relatively LOW altitude covering some 2O0.OOUI acres of their timber 1lle area. The large scale photographs are a ydIl-| 4D.e working tool in estimating timber volume and in laying out logging roads and operations in sene.al A two and three man ~ru.s3ng crew were in the woods all simmer, mapping and estimating timber Whi.e the Forest Service put q special crew on this type of work in the fall, preparing more than 90 million board feet of tim Der for logging operations by mark inb boundaries for cutting, spar tree locations, rafting areas, and road locations. The Congress passed bill in July authorizing the sale to Pacific Northern Timber Co. of 45 acres of tideland in the Shoe maker Bay section of WrangeIl Is- land. This historic event may pave the way for future transfer of title to tideland in Alaska to industry.
 Road. Trail Maintenance
 In road and trail maintenance work. routine periodic maintenance was done by a road crew at Rake, and a 2-man trail crew consisting of Bob Meryyn and Cal Olds. both Of Mrangell. A new trail, two miles long. Was built from Zimoyia Strait lo hons Luke. on Wrangell Island and a shelter, punt, and boat ramp were built there under the DinseiI- Johnson program to aid sports Iish-i ing A similar cabin was erected byI a crew from Rake at the mouth Of Kadake Creek. in Keku Strait. Ma. tt Ial for d new punt at Petersburg Lake was flown in where it is to he Built by Petersburg sp1rtsmen.
 Eight timber sales were prepared and sold, plus small sales. to make a total of almost 31 million board feet. Joe Bigelow and Don Meur5, i formerly passing at Wrangell and Ketchikan. took tip residence in Petersburg during the year. Both have timber sales in this vicinity. | Preliminary indications, based on field surveys made this past year, are indicative of a greater volume of timber available for harvest on the Tongass National Forest than formerly estimated. This may mean that there will be adequate timber supplies to support five instead of fodr major wood-using industries considered feasible to date, though considerably more work is needed before the picture will be clear.
 The Mitkof Highway project for construction to the Blind River power p amt Was almost completed. The Forest Service is making plans for maintenance of the crossing from the highway proper to the power Side for future public use. Recreational developments for the Blind River are the subject of study and it is hoped. Hardy said. some i thing can be gotten under way this summer.