The U.S. Forest Service is seeking public comment until Oct. 18, on the Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy, a new proposal from the Biden administration to fund community-led development projects.<\/p>\n
The exact sort of community development projects that will be funded is yet to be determined, said Chad VanOrmer, USFS deputy regional forester, in an interview with the Empire, and figuring that out is the goal of the public comment period.<\/p>\n
“We’ve designed the process to be open,” VanOrmer said. “We anticipate we’ll get a lot of ideas and proposals, then we’ll and try and prioritize. I’ve never really gone through this before, we’re asking people to jump right in and engage with us and hopefully build relationships.”<\/p>\n
The Forest Service is currently overseeing the public comment period, but VanOrmer said Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy is able to work with other agencies within the U.S. Department of Agriculture and described the process as a “one-USDA approach.” USDA has already committed $25 million to existing projects but is looking for suggestions from communities as to where additional funding might be allocated. Without specific projects to site, VanOrmer couldn’t say how much money would be spent on the program or over how long.<\/p>\n
“We have a steering team comprised of Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service and (USDA) Rural Development working in tandem to implement these goals,” VanOrmer said. “That really opens up the opportunities.”<\/p>\n
In previous public hearings, VanOrmer said Forest Service staff repeatedly heard calls for an increase in health care infrastructure. Health care clinics are not something the Forest Service does, VanOrmer said, but Rural Development does.<\/p>\n
[New fund established for Indigenous-led development<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n The sustainability strategy also includes a commitment to end large-scale logging on the Tongass National Forest and reimplement the 2001 Roadless Rule, which puts additional environmental protections on the region.<\/p>\n Reimplementation of the Roadless Rule drew rebuke from Alaska’s Congressional delegation, who issued a joint statement<\/a> following the announcement saying the decision would cripple the economy of Southeast Alaska.<\/p>\n “Let me be clear: $25 million doesn’t even come close to covering the economic damage that this administration’s policies will inflict on Southeast Alaska,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said in a July 16, statement. “Alaskans have the right to make a living, support our families, and connect our communities and have a much greater interest in seeing the Tongass healthy and sustainably managed than outside extreme environmental groups pulling the strings in the Biden administration.”<\/p>\n The Forest Service has identified some areas of need for the region including, fisheries, mariculture, tourism and renewable energy. If USDA heard strong support from a community regarding a particular issue, VanOrmer said that idea would be considered but needs to fall within the scope of what the department was able to accomplish.<\/p>\n