Pyramid Harbor is scheduled to be logged by the University of Alaska
The University of Alaska and “a bona fide purchaser” (according to their website but as yet unnamed) will be entering into a 10-year negotiated sale to harvest timber on the University’s “Haines Parcels,” as they call their land here, soon. They expect to make 10 million dollars. The timber will likely go to the Far East, it seems, where the engineered wood products made from it would be used to construct tall buildings (15 stories) and perhaps disposable concrete forms for the Chinese. (This is not certain, as with much of the sale information, there is not a lot of detail yet. The comments may help direct the plan.) Funds earned will go in the land trust, whose interest helps pay for scholarships.
The total area of the Haines Parcels is approximately 13,426 acres. At the meeting in Haines, UA lands manager Patrick Kelly, told me that “all of it” will be logged. So, it’s time to write to Kelly and the land trust, and I’m sending comments to the UA Regents as well. I’m still formulating mine, but figured this might be good to put on your to-do list as well. My hope is that comments from Haines will matter.
Comments on the sale are due by Tuesday May 22 by 5:00 pm. They may be sent to:
The UA Land Trust office: Ua-land@alaska.edu fax 907-786-7733
UA Land manager Patrick Kelly: pkelly@alaska.edu phone: 907-786-7766
The University of Alaska Board of Regents Chair Gloria O’Neill: goneill@citci.org
The forests to be cut are located within the Haines Borough, mostly along the Chilkat Inlet and River. They include Glacier Point, Pyramid Harbor, the Kicking Horse flats across the from airport up to 8-mile or so, and up the river valley, Chilkat Lake, and around Klukwan, as well as on Mt. Ripinsky behind town, the trailhead at 7-mile, and over on Taiya Point between Haines and Skagway.
