The Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DFFP) uses this definition of consultation: “Under existing statutes, regulations, and procedures, the Department of Natural Resources informs other groups of its intention to take a specific action and seeks their advice or assistance. Consultation is not intended to be binding. It is a means of informing affected organizations and individuals about forthcoming decisions and getting the benefit of their expertise. DNR replies to parties offering advice or assistance by informing them the decision and the reasons for which the decision was made or notifying them that the decision and finding are available upon request.”

In the Haines State Forest Resource Management Area, two sections of statute require consultation with other groups. AS 41.15.310 requires consultation with the following groups for the coordinated administration and management of the HSF RMA and the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.

• Division of Parks & Outdoor Recreation
• Department of Fish & Game
• Local fish and game advisory committees
• Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Advisory Council

AS 41.15.320 requires consultation with the groups listed below in adoption of a forest management plan

• Department of Fish and Game
• The governing bodies of each municipality in the general area

DFFP interprets adoption of a management plan to include development of management policy and coordinated administration and management to include interpretation and implementation of existing management policy in an adopted plan.

The management policy contained in the HSF RMA management plan will apply to all lands within the HSF RMA boundary equally. No buffer areas are designated in the legal descriptions of the HSF RMA or the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Comments may be submitted recommending specific management policy or guidelines for portions of HSF RMA units adjacent to the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Boundary.

Waterways and their protection may be subject to different standards depending on the nature of a proposed activity and the enabling laws related to an activity. At a minimum, any anadromous waterbodies identified on state lands are subject to the protection measures described in AS 16.05.871 and all forest management activities will be subject to the standards for riparian areas and anadromous streams that are outlined in the Forest Resources and Practices Act (FRPA, AS 41.17) and associated regulations.

Land-use permitting on state-owned lands is grounded in the classification of lands, an interdisciplinary process where surface characteristics, soil information, local expertise, resource and use reporting, and past and present land use records are reviewed to determine the primary anticipated uses in a location. This foundation of inventory and research, along with opportunities for agency and public review and comment, combine to form the basis for DNR’s multiple use decisions.

The DFFP relies on information shared by sister agencies such as the Department of Fish & Game and the Department of Environmental Conservation to provide findings and insights related to the habitat and water quality values in a given management area. In addition to referencing publications from each of these agencies, the DFFP participates in an ongoing exchange of information in these agencies through the review process of scoping documents like the Five Year Schedule of Timber Sales and the decision documents, Best Interest Findings and Forest Land Use Plans.

The Management Plan will provide policy language supporting responsible resource use throughout the RMA. The DFFP will follow all State and Federal law for implementation of resource use.

The management plan considers subsistence use and traditional uses as allowed throughout the RMA. Provision for specific uses in an identified area should be addressed in decision documents prepared during project development.

A project that is proposed within the planning area, including timber sales or other uses requiring permitting through DNR, will be subject to review by DFFP in addition to other state agencies including Alaska Department of Fish & Game and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. Proposed activities are also subject to public review prior to DNR’s adjudication decision. This interdisciplinary review is intended to provide opportunities for feedback from a wide range of perspectives and respond to that feedback as part of the authorization process.

Proposed projects can be reviewed for final decisions by the Area Forester, Coastal Regional Forester, Director(s), and additionally the DNR Commissioner.

The HSF RMA and the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve (CBEP) were created at the same time (1982), but they are enabled by different sections of Alaska Statute, and they are managed by different State Agencies for different purposes. The Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is managed by Alaksa DNR Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation (DPOR) for the purpose of protecting and perpetuating the Chilkat bald eagles and their essential habitats within the Preserve boundaries. The enabling statutes for the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve are found under AS 41.21 Article 6.

The HSF RMA is cooperatively managed by Alaska DNR Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DFFP) and Division of Mining Land & Water (DMLW) for the purpose of use, perpetuation, conservation, and production of the land and water within the HSF RMA boundary for a broad variety of uses and values through multiple use management. The enabling statutes for the HSF RMA are found under AS 41.15 Article 4.

The CBEP management plan describes that the creation of the Preserve and the State Forest together provides a proper balance between the protection provided by the Preserve and the multiple uses allowed in the Haines State Forest.

Land Classifications are a method used by ADNR to guide resource managers across all DNR Divisions in planning and adjudicating activities on State-owned lands. Classifications identify primary uses for land parcels based on the resources present and on past, present, and potential future uses or activities on that land. While classifications identify a primary intended use, all classifications are intended for multiple use. There are four land classifications in the HSF RMA. Each classification is defined in Alaska’s Administrative Code:
11 AAC 55.070. Forest land. Land classified forest is land that is or has been forested and is suited for forest management because of its physical, climatic, and vegetative conditions.
11 AAC 55.160. Public recreation land. Land classified public recreation is land that is suitable for recreation uses, waysides, parks, campsites, scenic overlooks, hunting, fishing or boating access sites, trail corridors, or greenbelts along bodies of water or roadways.
11 AAC 55.200. Resource management land. Land classified resource management is either (1) land that might have a number of important resources but for which a specific resource allocation decision is not possible because of a lack of adequate resource, economic, or other relevant information, or is not necessary because the land is presently inaccessible and remote and development is not likely to occur within the next 10 years; or (2) land that contains one or more resource values, none of which is of sufficiently high value to merit designation as a primary use.
11 AAC 55.230. Wildlife habitat land. Land classified wildlife habitat is land which is primarily valuable for (1) fish and wildlife resource production, whether existing or through habitat manipulation, to supply sufficient numbers or a diversity of species to support commercial, recreational, or traditional uses on an optimum sustained yield basis; or (2) a unique or rare assemblage of a single or multiple species of regional, state, or national significance.

No. The management plan addresses a variety of potential uses within the HSF RMA and provides information to guide DNR staff in making decisions about how to plan and authorize proposed activities to ensure they remain consistent with the purpose of the HSF RMA described in AS 41.15.300.

The timing of this management plan amendment is largely connected to the passage of legislation in 2023 allowing carbon offset projects to occur on state owned lands, including Alaska’s State Forests. The law requires State Forest management plans to be amended to include goals and management guidelines for carbon offset projects before a carbon offset project can be authorized within a state forest.

The management plan amendment represents an opportunity to make changes to other policies in the HSF RMA management plan. The DFFP is taking advantage of this opportunity to consider options to allow potential forest management activities throughout the HSF RMA. Allowing multiple use of the available State resources in each land classification meets the intent of the originating statute enabling a more comprehensive application of forest management strategy by distributing resource uses opportunities broadly across the RMA, which will provide the greatest value to the people of the State.

Dispersed recreation includes recreational pursuits that are not site specific in nature, such as beach combing, recreational boating, or wildlife viewing. Developed recreation is dependent on a structure or facility that serves recreational needs, such as a trail, campground, or structure.

The maintenance of mature forests can be accomplished through the development of specific projects and described relative to those projects in decision documents.

No. Timber harvest planning in the HSF RMA must meet the sustained yield of timber resources as required in the constitution. No renewable resources may exceed sustained yield harvest rates on State managed lands, protecting resource availability for future generations.

A carbon offset credit is a financial instrument representing a reduction or removal of one metric ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.  These credits are used by companies or other entities to compensate for their own carbon emissions by investing in environmental projects that reduce or remove greenhouse gasses.

A carbon offset project is designed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or capture and store carbon from the atmosphere to compensate for emissions made elsewhere.  These projects help businesses, governments, and other entities achieve carbon neutrality or reduced carbon footprints through the purchase of carbon offsets.

Examples of carbon offset projects:

Forestry and Land Use Projects:  These include reforestation, afforestation (planting trees where there were none before), improved forest management, and conservation projects. Trees naturally absorb and sequester CO2 from the atmosphere, making them an effective basis for carbon offset projects.

Methane Capture Projects:  These projects prevent methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from entering the atmosphere. Common sources include landfills, agricultural operations (like livestock), and wastewater treatment facilities.

Energy Efficiency Projects: Improving energy efficiency in buildings, manufacturing, and transportation can significantly reduce emissions. Projects might involve upgrading equipment, improving building insulation, or enhancing industrial processes to use less energy.

80% of revenue from carbon offset projects shall be deposited into the State general fund, where the Legislature can appropriate it for other uses. 20% of revenue, as required by AS 38.95.430, shall be deposited into the renewable energy grant fund, a fund established to promote the development of renewable energy projects throughout Alaska aiming to reduce energy costs and decrease the state’s dependence on fossil fuel.