Skip to content

Haines State Forest Management Plan Amendment

Latest News

Initial scoping surveys will stop accepting responses Monday September 30th. Join DOF staff for a public meeting in Haines on October 9, 2024 for discussion of survey results and an update to the planning process.

Under directive from DNR Commissioner John Boyle, Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DOF) has begun the amendment process for the Haines State Forest Management Plan. The primary purpose of this amendment is the addition of policy language reflecting new Carbon offset legislation (AS 39.95.400 - 39.95.499) and the inclusion of Carbon management in multiple use principles on State forest land (AS 41.17.200). A public information meeting will be in Haines on May 8, 2024 to present the amendment process, describe proposed changes to the management plan, and outline opportunities for public involvement.

Click the headings below for more information on each topic.

The revision process is designed to include considerations from members of the public, regional and local Alaska Native corporations, industry representatives, and other interest groups. Throughout this process, opportunities for public comment will be shared here and through the State of Alaska Online Public Notice platform.

Public Meetings

Opening meeting – May 8, 2024

Planning Process Update – October 9, 2024
The update meeting on October 9 is intended to provide an update on the planning process and review the results of the public surveys released throughout the summer

A schedule of public meetings can be found below, and will be updated as more meetings are planned for the future.

Date Purpose Location Join Online
Initial Public Meeting

May 8, 2024
6:30–8:00pm
-Introduce HSF and forest management
-Introduce Carbon market in Alaska
-Outline amendment process
-Q & A Session
Lobby, Chilkat Center for the Arts This meeting has already occurred.
Amendment Update and Survey Summary Meeting

October 9, 2024
6:30-8:00pm
-Update progress with plan amendment
-Discuss results of public surveys released throughout the summer
-Identify dates of future meetings and/or release of plan draft for public review
Lobby, Chilkat Center for the Arts

1 Theater Dr. Haines, AK 99827
Join Online: HSF October 9 Public Meeting video conference

Meeting ID: 278 569 422 70
Passcode: dRpHxf

Dial in by telephone: +1 907-202-7104
Phone meeting ID: 638 740 341#

Surveys

Throughout the summer, a series of surveys will be posted here.  Surveys will address topics that are relevant to the scope of this amendment and will be released in the first week of May, June, July, and August.  These surveys will remain open for submissions through Monday, September 30, 2024.  Comments submitted through the survey and interactive map products will contribute to the discussion analysis of the subject topics for tabular presentation during the fall public meeting.  The comments are anonymous and will be used for statistical analysis only.

The Division of Forestry & Fire Protection would like to hear your thoughts on topics including:

  • Forest Access
  • Commercial Recreation
  • Recreation Development
  • Carbon Offset Projects
  • Five Year Forest Management Schedule
  • Recommended Additions to Haines State Forest
  • Mt. Ripinski Non-Motorized Area
  • Wildland Fire Management
  • Research Uses
  • Subsistence Use
  • Placer Mining
  • Hunting and Trapping

Survey 1: Recreation

Survey 2: Subsistence Use

Survey 3: Broad Forestry Topics

Survey 4: Forest Projects

Interactive map

View the map below of the Haines State Forest. This map displays active forest roads, unit and subunit boundaries, and land classifications. An “Edit” option allows users to mark locations and add text comments to those points. This tutorial describes how users can add information to the interactive map.

Public Comment

After the initial meetings and surveys throughout the summer, a draft will be released for public review and the plan will be open for public comment for at least 30 days. Share your feedback when the amended plan draft is released for public review. An online comment portal will be available through this website, or comments can be submitted by mail or email.

Coming Soon: Link to HSF Online Comment Portal

Make Your Comments Count
Here is a link to a brochure created by DNR’s Division of Mining, Lands, and Water explaining how your comments can be most valuable to reviewers.

Comments must be submitted in writing, and may be submitted by email to dnr.dof.haines@alaska.gov

Or by mail to

Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection
ATTN: Forest Planning
500 W 7th Ave. Ste 1450
Anchorage, AK 99501-3566

Recordings of public meetings held during the amendment process will be posted here as meetings occur. A schedule of past and upcoming meetings can be found in the How You Can Participate section of this website.

Haines Opening Meeting (May 8, 2024)

Haines State Forest

The Haines State Forest contains 260,000 acres managed by the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection that include the watersheds of the Chilkoot, Chilkat, and Ferebee rivers within its boundary. Located in a transition zone between the wet coastal climate and the dry, cold interior, the Forest provides suitable conditions for a diversity of plants and wildlife. The rugged topography ranges from sea level to over 7,000 feet.

The Forest is composed mostly of two forest types: western hemlock/Sitka spruce, and black cottonwood/willow. Lodgepole pine and paper birch occur as minor species throughout the Forest.

Haines State Forest is managed for multiple use under the sustained yield principles of AS 41.17. Multiple use management may include a mix of timber harvest, recreation, mining, traditional uses, fish and wildlife habitat protection, or tourism. Levels of use depend on the resources present in an area. Sustained yield management places responsibility on the State of Alaska to ensure that the management of our forests guarantees perpetual supplies of renewable resources and serves the needs of all Alaska for the many products, benefits, and services obtained from them.

The current management plan for the Haines State Forest was last amended in 2002.

See the 2002 Haines State Forest management plan

State of Alaska Land Management Planning

The planning process is designed to ensure participation by the public and government agencies, to provide opportunities for review and amendment of the plan. An outline of the planning process is provided below.

  • Identify Issues: In some cases, an amendment occurs in response to an administrative directive, either from the Governor or the DNR Commissioner. Other times, DOF draws on the experience of Haines State Forest resource forester, local expertise, and public insight to identify ways that a current plan is not able to effectively guide management decision-making for a State Forest. In this case, DOF has been directed by the Commissioner of DNR to amend the Haines State Forest management plan.
  • Determine necessary level of revision: Based on the proposed changes to the plan document, DOF decides whether an amendment, minor change, or special exception is the best process for capturing those changes. An amendment is an edit that “permanently changes the forest management plan by adding to or modifying the basic management intent for one or more of the units or subunits, by changing allowed or prohibited uses, guidelines, or policies” (HSF Management Plan, 2002). Due to the insertion of language describing Carbon Offset Projects, the current process is an amendment.
  • Announce amendment intentions with the public.
  • Prepare draft plan: Create a draft plan that reflects resource values, as well as public and DOF goals. DOF and other agencies review the first draft and settle any land use conflicts that remain or propose the best alternatives for public review.
  • Agency review of draft plan: DOF collaborates with other agencies including Department of Natural resources (DNR) Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation; DNR Division of Mining, Land and Water; and Alaska Department of Fish and Game Habitat and Restoration Division in the amendment process. A draft of the management plan is shared with these agencies for review before it is made available to the public.
  • Adjust plan content based on agency comments.
  • Public review of draft plan: The draft plan is released for public review. Public meetings are held to provide the public an opportunity to comment on the draft plan and to identify parts that need to be changed. Public review drafts are open for comment for at least 30 days.
  • Prepare issue response summary: Agency and public comments are reviewed, and the draft plan is revised as necessary. The final plan and Issue Response Summary are prepared for public review.
  • Prepare the plan for publication: Review agency and public comments and revise the plan.
  • Approve plan: The Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources approves and signs the plan.
  • Implement plan: The plan guides management decisions for lands within Haines State Forest Resource Management Area.

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.

Trevor Dobell-Carlsson
Forest Planner and Federal
Programs Manager
Alaska DNR | Division of
Forestry & Fire Protection
500 W 7th Ave. Ste 1450
Anchorage, AK 99501
(907)269-8667

Greg Palmieri
Haines SF Resource
Forester
Alaska DNR | Division of
Forestry & Fire Protection
PO Box 263
Haines, AK 99827
(907)766-2120

Geneva Preston
Forest Planner
Alaska DNR | Division of
Forestry & Fire Protection
2417 Tongass Ave. Ste 213
Ketchikan, AK 99901
(907)225-3070

Or email dnr.dof.haines@alaska.gov