The 13,426 acres is scattered throughout the Haines Borough. (Map Courtesy of the University of Alaska)

Representatives from the University of Alaska are in Haines to discuss a proposed 13,000-acre timber sale in the Chilkat Valley. The university has provided few details about how the potential harvest would be carried out, but it is seeking input from residents about the sale. 

The Chamber of Commerce meeting served as a question and answer session for residents to learn more about the university timber sale. Elaine Main and Laura Carmack facilitated the meeting. Main is a business manager for the UA Land office, and Carmack is a property manager for UA.

The first question came from Haines resident Diana Lapham. She asked about the  timeline for the negotiations. Originally, the university envisioned approving a final contract by August 2018. Main explained that negotiations were postponed because the site visits were delayed.

“We’re still negotiating with the contractor. That’s been pushed into early 2019. We’re not going to be able to do any more field work or go out and do cruising until weather will allow us, which will be spring,” Main said.

One particular concern has been how timber harvest will affect recreation in the Chilkat Valley. Recently the Haines Borough contacted the university about whether trails would be affected by the harvest.

At the meeting Monday, Scott Sundberg, co-owner of Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures, said that his business was permitted by the university to cross its land for a winter tour, but that permit was recently closed out. He asked if he would be able to run the tour when logging operations close for the winter.

So far, the university has been unable to answer these kinds of questions. Morgan Howard is a point of contact for Haines residents seeking information on the sale. The university hired him in September.

He said that details about how the harvest will be carried out are vague in part because the plans will change over the course of the 10-year sale.

“You know a plan that’s set for 10 years in advance, they won’t know exactly where they’ll be in year 7 or year 8. It’ll be changing, and they’ll be making adjustments as they go,” Howard said.

He said that the buyer and the university will keep accepting input and respond to specific concerns from residents as they come up.

“I would say that it’s fair to the community that they also, as we move forward, can learn things and make changes. I can bring something up that’s of interest today that wasn’t of interest yesterday and they can change their mind about things. Noone is held to like, you spoke up once about something and that’s it,” Howard said.

The university’s land office is hosting another community meeting Monday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the ANB Hall to address questions related to the timber sale.