Board of Forestry Meeting, Wednesday, March 19, 2014 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Thursday, March 20 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The Board of Forestry will meet to discuss statewide forestry issues on Wednesday, March 19, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Thursday, March 20, from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. The meeting will be held in Juneau and will be teleconferenced.  

The agenda will include reports on the following topics:

• Proposed Fiscal Year 2015 forestry, forest practices, and monitoring budgets,
• The Susitna State Forest and negotiated timber sales bill (HB79),
• 2013 forest practices compliance monitoring results,
• A 20-year study of Forest Practices Act effectiveness in protecting fish habitat and water quality,
• Assessments of Forest Practices Act effectiveness from the departments of Natural Resources, Environmental Conservation, and Fish and Game,
• Dept. of Environmental Conservation consideration of state assumption of Section 404 permit authority,
• Wood energy in Alaska and state timber sales for wood energy projects,
• · Federal forest management in Alaska including Tongass and Chugach national forest planning, Roadless Rule implementation, Southeast land ownership initiatives, and Southeast Conference review of Tongass conservation and management,
• Alaska Timber Jobs Task Force recommendations and implementation,
• Reforestation standards review process for Interior and Southcentral Alaska,
• University of Alaska Fairbanks forestry research program update, and
• Division of Forestry program updates and organization.

The Board of Forestry will also compile its annual report to the Governor on Forest Resources and Practices Act effectiveness.  Other forestry matters may be included on the agenda. The meeting is intended to comply with the requirements of AS 41.17.047(b) and (d).

The meeting will be held both days in the 2^nd floor conference room in the Dept. of Environmental Conservation, located at 410 Willoughby Ave., Juneau.  Public comment is scheduled for Wednesday, March 19 at 1:15 p.m. 

Teleconference locations for the Board of Forestry meeting have been set up in:

• Anchorage:  State Forester’s Office, Suite 1450 of the Atwood Building, located at 550 W. 7^th Ave.,
• Fairbanks, Medium Conference Room, Dept. Natural Resource, 3700 Airport Way, and
• Palmer, Larch Room, Alaska Division of Forestry Office, 101 Airport Road.

If you are outside of Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Juneau and would like to participate in the teleconference, please contact Marty Freeman at the Division of Forestry in Anchorage at marty.freeman@alaska.gov or call her at 269-8467. If no member of the public has contacted Marty or is present at a teleconference location by 9:30 a.m., the teleconference may be terminated.

For additional information about the meeting, or for special accommodations due to audio or visual impairment, contact Marty using the contact information above. Any individuals wishing to receive future announcements of Board of Forestry meetings by e-mail or in hard copy should contact Marty to be added to the mailing list.

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