New Susitna State Forest in planning stages by state

A new state forest in the Susitna River valley region is in the planning stages.

Alaska now has two state forests, the large Tanana Valley State Forest in Interior Alaska and the smaller Haines State Forest in Southeast Alaska, both managed by the state Department of Natural Resources, or DNR. A Susitna Valley State Forest, if it is created, would be the third.

The new forest along with a proposed expansion of the Tanana Valley State Forest is part of a plan by the Gov. Mike Dunleavy and state natural resources Commissioner John Boyle to expand the state’s small timber industry.

Much of the western part of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough is forested state-owned land managed by the state Division of Lands and Water Management. Creating a new state forest under the Division of Forestry puts the focus on more active management of the region’s forest resource, although other uses like recreation would be allowed, according to the DNR. The boundaries and size of the new forest are still being worked out. Legislation will be required to establish the forest, also.

Outside of Alaska’s State Forests, investments in forest development on state lands come with the risk of potentially not being protected since those lands could be put to other uses – like conveyed as subdivisions, state parks, or agriculture lands, DNR said in information posted on its website.

The lands under consideration for the new state forest were selected for forestry because of their productivity potential for growing timber. By designating these lands as State Forest, management would be transferred within the DNR to the Division of Forestry and Fire Protection, with a primary focus on timber management.

This will ensure the production, use, and replenishment of timber resources while still supporting other beneficial uses of public lands. Revenues from development of timber resources could provide funding for reseeding in areas hit by disease like spruce beetle infection and after a forest fire.

The total area in the planning includes 772,416 acres with a total of 488,735 acres of land greater than a 10 percent tree coverage.The Susitna-Matanuska Valley timber type is primarily composed of white spruce-birch stands, paper birch and black spruce stands also make up a significant portion of the area.

Other species found include aspen and balsam poplar, which are mixed throughout different stands, according to the DNR. Cottonwood, alder and willow can be found in riparian zones. Most of this land is away from population centers and elevation, generally, is under 1,000 feet of elevation.

The timber stands show uniformity in age, with an average age of approximately 120 years. There is a lack of advanced regeneration, however, which could be aided by new revenues from timber sales. The age distribution and regeneration pattern indicates that the area likely underwent a major disturbance, possibly a significant fire, around 1890, the DNR said.

Other than forestry land use the area also boasts mineral resources including places where mining has occured for decades. Rivers and lakes in the area make great opportunities for recreation such as hunting, fishing, rafting, hiking and camping in these areas.There is abundant fish and wildlife throughout the area. An active forest management process would mitigate encroachment and enhance wildlife habitat.

The governor and the DNR are also planning an expansion of HB 218, SB 188 the Tanana State Forest, which could grow to 2.4 million aces under the proposal:

Two bills introduced by the governor to expand the forest, House Bill 218 and Senate Bill 188 came in too late for legislative action this year but will be worked on in the House and Senate State Affairs committees next year. If passed, the legislation would add 574,450 acres to the Tanana forest, bringing it to a total of about 2.4 million acres.

The Tanana forest now stretches in separate parcels from the Kantishna River west of Nenana to the Tok area east of Fairbanks. The proposed additions, which would add lands to the state forest in multiple areas, have been recommended in several Interior regional land plans done in recent years.

State forests are open for timber sales and other uses. “This change provides certainty for investors that investments in reforestation, road construction and other activities will be safeguarded and maintained,” the governor said in his letter of transmittal to the Legislature. There is a lot of low-value black spruce in the Interior but for the state forest additions the state Department of Natural Resources is working to include productive forest lands with higher-value timber like white spruce and birch.

Meanwhile, two other governor’s initiatives on forest development will wait until next year. They are House Bill 72 and Senate Bill 67, allowing for long-term leases in state forests for harvesting. Both were introduced in January but are still in the House and Senate Resources committees.