KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service has extended the public comment period for a proposed tree harvesting initiative.
The Ketchikan Daily News reports people will have until July 13 to comment on the Forest Service’s plan to harvest young-growth timber on a parcel of land on the north end of Gravina Island, located 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) west of Ketchikan.
A majority of the proposed area is owned by the Forest Service, but about one-third of it is owned by the State of Alaska.
The project would encourage the harvesting of young-growth timber over older trees. The Forest Service says the action would benefit small businesses by opening up new markets and allowing industry operators to refine skills and equipment need to economically harvest and process young-growth timber.
