Performance Details

Department of Natural Resources - Forest Management & Development

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Mission

To provide a sustainable supply of forest resources to Alaskans, create stable family wage jobs in rural communities, provide affordable and safe housing materials, and help generate a thriving rural economy.

Core Services

• Grow the Forestry economic sector. Provide timber to increase local demand within the limit of sustainable supply.
• Ensure compliance with the Alaska Forest Resources & Practices Act (FRPA) on state, municipal and private lands.
• Provide technical and financial forestry assistance to diverse landowners and managers through cost-effective non-regulatory partnerships.

Mission Results

Core Services

A: Provide stable or increasing economic and environmental benefits from the use of trees and forests. Details > TARGET #1: Provide stable or increasing economic benefit from the use of trees and forests on state land by selling state timber to twenty or more Alaskan businesses. TARGET #2: 100% of Alaskan waterbodies are in compliance with the Department of Environmental Conservation"s (DEC) impaired waters standards as a result of forest operations conducted on lands administered under the FRPA.

A1: Grow the Forestry economic sector. Provide timber to increase local demand within the limit of sustainable supply. Details > TARGET #1: Provide Alaskan firms in Southern Southeast Alaska with the maximum volume of state timber sustainably available. TARGET #2: Provide Alaskan firms outside of Southern Southeast Alaska with supply that meets demand. A2: Ensure compliance with the Alaska Forest Resources & Practices Act (FRPA) on state, municipal and private lands. Details > TARGET #1: Operate the Forest Resources and Practices Act program to achieve 100% implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs). A3: Provide technical and financial forestry assistance to diverse landowners and managers through cost-effective non-regulatory partnerships. Details > TARGET #1: Serve 30 individual private forest landowners and two Alaska Native corporations per year with Forest Stewardship Plans; provide technical assistance through public outreach events to 400-plus members of the public (primarily aimed at landowners and land

Performance Detail

Target #1: Provide stable or increasing economic benefit from the use of trees and forests on state land by selling state timber to twenty or more Alaskan businesses. Methodology: Division of Forestry & Fire Protection Alaskan Firms Purchasing State Timber Sales Fiscal Year YTD Total FY 2024 33 FY 2023 20 FY 2022 28 FY 2021 28 FY 2020 24 FY 2019 25 FY 2018 21 FY 2017 21 FY 2016 27 FY 2015 26 FY 2014 34 FY 2013 35 Analysis of results and challenges: The number of purchasers of state timber sales remains stable. In Southeast the number of firms purchasing state timber sales has declined dramatically, primarily due to the lack of a consistent federal timber supply from the Tongass National Forest (TNF). The Division has been engaged in a number of ways to help improve this situation, including administering two Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) timber sale projects on the TNF in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service. State timber supply continues to be critical to the remaining purchasers in Southeast. Commercial sawlog supply in Southcentral is challenging due to the spruce bark beetle outbreak. Most timber operations requiring spruce are occurring on private lands or borough lands which are easier to access than state lands. In the Interior, demand for sawtimber remains steady. Target Last Modified: 01/06/2025

Target #2: 100% of Alaskan waterbodies are in compliance with the Department of Environmental Conservation"s (DEC) impaired waters standards as a result of forest operations conducted on lands administered under the FRPA. Methodology: FRPA data compiled based on calendar year Percentage of Waterbodies in Compliance with DEC"s Impaired Waters Standards Year YTD Total 2023 100% 2022 100% 2021 100% 2020 100% 2019 100% 2018 100% 2017 100% 2016 100% 2015 100% 2014 100% 2013 100% 2012 100% Analysis of results and challenges: The Alaska Forest Resources & Practices Act (FRPA) continues to ensure that forest operations protect water quality and fish habitat. The list of impaired waterbodies identifies waters that do not meet state water quality standards, including standards for beneficial use for fish habitat. No waterbodies are listed as impaired due to timber operations subject to FRPA standards. Target Last Modified: 05/30/2024

Target #1: Provide Alaskan firms in Southern Southeast Alaska with the maximum volume of state timber sustainably available. Analysis of results and challenges: Southern Southeast area increased timber volume sold this year compared to last. The Kosciusko east timber sale as well as the El Cap / Whales Pass sale represents over 21 million board feet of western hemlock and Sitka spruce timber for the industry in Southeast Alaska. Ketchikan continues to be the division"s highest revenue producing office. DOF is utilizing a housing stipend and retention bonus in an effort to attract candidates to vacant positions in Ketchikan. These positions have had high turnover rates and are challenging to fill. The Ketchikan office continues to leverage contractor and industry partnerships to assist in sale planning and development. Through Good Neighbor Agreements with the US Forest Service, DOF has been able to provide timber to the industry from the Tongass National Forest in addition to state forest lands. This year, the Kosciusko GNA contract was completed and DOF is currently administering the Vallner Bay GNA contract. DOF is looking to complete this contract and work with the Forest Service to develop more GNA projects. Target Last Modified: 10/11/2024

Target #2: Provide Alaskan firms outside of Southern Southeast Alaska with supply that meets demand. Timber Sale Program, Outside Southern Southeast Alaska: Thousand Board Feet Offered and Sold per Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Offered Sold FY 2024 9,911 9,911 FY 2023 3,244 3,244 FY 2022 4,662 4,662 FY 2021 26,493 26,493 FY 2020 2,331 2,331 FY 2019 2,551 2,551 FY 2018 3,304 3,304 FY 2017 3,435 3,435 FY 2016 6,672 6,393 FY 2015 16,060 15,027 FY 2014 20,405 20,405 FY 2013 4,272 4,272 Analysis of results and challenges: Area offices outside Southern Southeast Alaska offered and sold 9.9 million board feet in FY24. All of the Areas made more overall sales available than last year, reacting to the needs of the timber purchasers. Fairbanks and Delta areas made over 1,000 acres available to timber processors in the interior. They are continuing to develop 4 additional long term sales around the area. Tok area made approximately 200 acres available for the 10 year contract with Youngs Timber to meet the needs of that business. The Fairbanks-Delta office is generally the highest revenue and volume producing office after the Ketchikan office and historically provides 70% or more of timber in the Interior. Target Last Modified: 10/11/2024

Target #1: Operate the Forest Resources and Practices Act program to achieve 100% implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs). Methodology: BMP implementation compliance is measured as the percentage of BMPs rated four or higher out of a perfect score of five in field inspections of forest operations. *FRPA data compiled based on Calendar Year. Forest Resources & Practices Act Program: Rating of Best Management Practices Implementation by Region Year Southeast Southcentral Interior 2023 89% 100% 94% 2022 89% 0 75% 2021 91% 100% 93% 2020 90% 0 97% 2019 90% 94% 94% 2018 93% 88% 82% 2017 97% 93% 100% 2016 93% 99% 99% 2015 97% 97% 94% 2014 96% 93% 85% 2013 96% 98% 80% 2012 98% 98% 92% Analysis of results and challenges: Best Management Practices (BMP) are designed to prevent adverse impacts from forest operations on fish habitat and water quality, and to ensure prompt reforestation following harvest. The division uses compliance monitoring results to identify training needs. Training emphasizes specific BMPs with relatively low ratings and targets operators with a history of compliance issues. The Division is conducting more BMP training for new incoming field foresters to perform inspections. Target Last Modified: 10/11/2024

Target #1: Serve 30 individual private forest landowners and two Alaska Native corporations per year with Forest Stewardship Plans; provide technical assistance through public outreach events to 400-plus members of the public (primarily aimed at landowners and land Methodology: Division of Forestry & Fire Protection Analysis of results and challenges: Alaska Native corporation Forest Stewardship Plan development has led to biomass utilization to heat community buildings, reduce hazardous fuels, address housing shortages in remote villages, and increase local employment opportunities. Other Alaska Native corporation Forest Stewardship Plans have led to large scale carbon offset sales on Alaska Native land and pre-commercial thinning, in addition to eligibility for federal financial assistance. Alaska Native corporations can take from one to three years to develop plans, leading to inconsistent yearly acreage numbers. This Year, the division developed 13 new Forest Stewardship Plans for 1,302,301 acres of forestland using 100% federal funding. A total of 3.18 million privately owned acres in Alaska are sustainably managed by a current Forest Stewardship Plan. The Stewardship program has an additional 1 million acres of private land in active plan development status and anticipates 40,000 acres to 100,000 acres of plans being completed in FY24. This service is non-regulatory and is conducted in close partnership with U.S. Forest Service, University of Alaska Cooperative Extension Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and private consulting foresters. Individual private landowner and public education outreach accomplishments are driven by regional demand including local forest health issues, as well as DOF staff availability, with both factors leading to varying yearly accomplishments. A yearly average of 445 members of the public receive direct one-on-one technical assistance in the form of written forest management documents, telephone or virtual consultations, or workshop attendance. The number of forest health contacts with land managers and landowners received by the program tend to closely follow the ebbs and flows of emerging or ongoing forest insect outbreaks. For much of the last ten years, the technical and financial assistance provided by the program has largely been focused on spruce beetle. In total, the program has provided technical assistance to approximately 5,171 land managers and landowners in the last 10 years and has provided financial assistance to thirteen landowners. Target Last Modified: 10/11/2024

Last refreshed: 05/22/2025 12:00 pm