The DNR Division of Forestry & Fire Protection plans for timber management on state land in several phases. First, if needed, a forest management plan is developed. Second, the Division publishes a summary of proposed sales in a Five-Year Schedule of Timber Sales for each area office. Third, detailed information on each individual sale is developed in a Forest Land Use Plan. Finally, the Division issues contracts with requirements that the operator must meet.
Step 1: Regional planning reviewThe first step in forest planning is to review existing regional plans to ensure that proposed actions are consistent with the plans. Regional plans may be area or management plans adopted under AS 38.04.065 or state forest management plans adopted under AS 41.17.230. Regional plans have been completed for about two-thirds of all state land.
Area or management plans are developed under the principles of multiple use and sustained yield. They designate the main uses for state land, set guidelines to ensure that multiple uses occur compatibly, and classify the land according to its main uses. Land must be classified before timber can be sold. Where no regional plan exists, a site-specific plan must be adopted under AS 38.04.065(h) to classify the land before a timber sale can occur.
In addition to the guidance in all regional plans, state forest management plans identify major access corridors and set the annual allowable cut for timber harvests. Proposals for timber sales in a state forest must be consistent with the state forest management plan. (References: AS 38.095.112(d), AS 41.17.200-.230).
Step 2: Five-Year Schedule of Timber Sales
Step 3: Forest Land Use Plans and Best Interest Findings
Step 4: Timber Sale Contracts
Fact Sheets about Timber Sales:
- State Timber & Value-Added Processing
- AS 38.05.123: Negotiated Timber Sales for Value-Added Processing
- Planning & Public Notice Requirements for State Timber Sales
- Commercial Timber Sales Planning Process
Statutes and Regulations
The Division of Forestry & Fire Protection is guided not only by the Alaska Forest Resources and Practices Act, but also by many other statutes and regulations. The following document compiles the Alaska Statutes and Alaska Administrative Code sections that directly govern the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection's management activities.