MSB officially rescinds Long Lake timber harvest resolution

A proposal to rescind a previous resolution that would have allowed the Matanuska Susitna Borough (MSB) manager to solicit bids for the Long Lake Road Salvage Timber Harvest was passed during the August 1st MSB Assembly meeting.

“When I read all of the comments from the people in that area that are directly affected by this, and I thought ‘what other choice do we have than to rescind?’ When I read through the letters that we received (regarding this proposal), nobody wants it. It seems to me that this is government overreach,” said MSB Assembly member Dee McKee, who introduced the motion back in June, following a Borough assembly meeting in Willow in which residents turned out to voice their opposition to the proposal which would have allowed the Borough to harvest a 137-acre parcel of MSB owned forested land due to high stocking of birch with little damaged and dead spruce.

“The proposal for the timber sale is in the best interest of the forest and the surrounding community,” read part of a summary statement that was issued along with the resolution, adding that the timber harvest would reduce wildfires, timely management of the forestland, and salvage timber before it more trees are lost to rot and infestations like the beetle spruce.

However, the residents of Willow were passionate in their opposition to any timber cut on the parcel, saying that such action would have changed the terrain and landscape that so many others purposely seek out when visiting the community.

“I moved out here to Willow about 2 years ago...we’re out here to build a life and didn’t want to have to live in an apartment building with people and dogs and noise,” said Jake Warden at the time. “There’s plenty of land to build but we don’t want to lose all of the trees and the plant life and wildlife within. That’s why it’s special.”

“I think the people should prevail here,” said Assembly member McKee.

“There was a lot of emotion with this, for good reason,” said MSB Assemblyman Rob Yundt.

“There was a lot of emotion in the room when this came forward. I don’t think we need to rehash this,” he told the assembly, adding that it was his hope that the others would also vote to rescind the proposal.

MSB Assembly member Stephanie Nowers added that she supported rescind the Long Lake timber harvest as well, but hopes that it will not detract from future timber sales, and would like to see the Borough work with the timber industry and residents to make it work.

“We’ve just recently kicked off our timber industry in a new direction and what I’ve seen in the past with the Borough is the timber industry comes to a complete halt because of one project gone wrong and people upset about it,” she said, adding:

“There is a lot of opposition in this and I think could lead to backlash if it was pushed onto people in any sort of timber sale, and I don’t want to see that. I think this will build the case for future sales and make people more comfortable with this sort of thing.”

Nowers said she would like to see that industry continue, to succeed, have smaller sales like this go forward, without opposition, and there are other places to timber.

There were no objections from the MSB Assembly, and the resolution to rescind the Long Lake Timber Harvest was passed.