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issues was enclosed in seven Southeast Alaska newspapers which are received in 

 over 22,000 homes and businesses. 



Question 5. NMFS has proposed 100-foot buffer strips on Class I, Class II, 

 and some Class III streams. 



a. Vhat impact would such a policy have on the allowable sale 

 quantity of the Tongass National Forest? 



Answer: Based on the assumption that the channels in the current GIS 

 inventory meet the intent of the NMFS policy for Class I, II, and III streams, 

 it is estimated the implementation would reduce the acreage of tentatively 

 suitable timber land by about 5 percent. 



b. Vhat additional logging would such a policy incur? 



Answer: Ve assume that the question is what additional logging costs would 

 such a policy incur? If the policy permitted road access through the buffer 

 strips we would expect that additional roading and an increased number of 

 logging settings will be required in some instances. If the policy does not 

 permit road access through the buffer strips, we will virtually be precluded 

 from timber harvest, except by helicopter or other aerial systems that require 

 no road access. 



c. What additional benefits to salmonids would result from imposition 

 of National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) policy over the riparian 

 management policy you are now following? In other words, compare the 

 detriments of the timber industry with the benefits to the fishing 

 industry of such a proposal. 



Answer: No additional benefits to fish would result from imposing 100-foot 

 buffers on any classes of streams. The site-specific field examinations and 

 management prescriptions we now employ are superior to strict fixed buffers. 

 A detriment to timber interests would be the expected loss of about 5 percent 

 of the acreage of tentatively suitable timber land. In addition resource 

 managers would lose vegetation management prerogatives which now enable the 

 realization ". . .of increased primary and secondly production and extended 

 growing season," as quoted from a National Marine Fisheries Service 1986 

 publication. 



An increase in salmon production may be derived from a combination of 

 increased sunlight reaching the stream, increased water temperature, and 

 increased nutrients. If the 100-foot buffer is placed along streams as 

 proposed by NMFS, the opportunity for managing these variables for increased 

 salmon production is eliminated. 



Question 6. You have described the Forest Service planning process and the 

 unprecedented public input into the revision of TLMP. How does this differ 



