221 



Under the Preferred Ahermttive the protection of streams has been severely reduced. The 

 Forest Service released m AnadroaxMS Fish Habitat Asaeasment in 1995. It foioid that 

 cuneot measures 'Yor anadromous fish habitat protecdoa oo the Toogass National Forest 

 are lew dian fully effective, and additional protectiOD it needed to make timber harvest 

 moir oompadble with maiiMaii a nB faigb-quality fiali habitat and long tena oonaenvtioD of 

 fiahstockx" Fuhery eiq>erts who reviewed the various optioss coosidoed for protecting 

 fish habitat strongly neconnnrndtd ''OptioD 1 (notection for the highest vahie watersheds 

 and oothii^ less than Option 2 protection acroas the rematoder of the watenfaoda. We aak 

 that the Forest Service adopt the highest level of protection for fish habitat The Preferred 

 Ahenative fills to fcUow the advise of the Report to Coogresa and the best scieBtific 

 ia l b im a tioo avaSaUe on the Toqgast. No asseasmert haa been done for the Pre fe r r ed 

 Ahemtive One of the ftrongest recommendations of the Report to Congress was to 

 begin implementing waterdied anatyas. Walenhed inalyvs would provide timber sale 

 planning teams with valuable site-specific information about highly productive fisheries, 

 potential road locations, unso^le and steep slopes, and other important watershed vshiet. 

 This needs to be aooonqilisfaed to provide more accurate infomotioa and protective 

 measures fiv streams and fish oo the Tongass. We ask that the Forest Service also esttend 

 the p r opo ee d no-cut buffiar along the coastline fixxn 500 &et to 1,000 feet, with an 

 ■t^acent 500-foot selection cutting zoiK to protect ^lainst Uowdown of this beach fiinge 

 buner. 



Deer habitat will be substantially reduced under the Preferred Alternative. The enlarged 

 beach fiinge buffer, important for deer winter range has been abandoned. After several 

 decades of research biologists agree that current high levels (rf' logging and expansive road 



