"Earl Stewart"

Wildlife managers said they would extend the wolf harvest on Prince of Wales Island following a contentious hearing where hunters said too many wolves were preying on deer.

Hecla Greens Creek Mine hopes to expand its tailings and waste rock storage by about 5 million cubic yards. A 45-day period for the public to examine and comment on the plan began Oct. 9.

The U.S. Forest Service has given the owner of a boat shop on Prince of Wales Island until mid-December to tear down the historic complex and leave.

This latest proposed Tongass timber sale on Prince of Wales Island would dwarf anything seen in decades. The public has until mid-December to weigh in on the U.S. Forest Service’s plan.

At the end of the 16-year transition, only 5 million feet of old growth will be provided for small sales and specialty products.

The amendment to phase out old-growth logging has been in the works since 2014. It takes effect in 30 days.

Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott said it was important for him to see the Unuk, one of the transboundary rivers that flows from British Columbia into Alaska. Those rivers are a subject of concern because of Canadian mining activity.

Both the industry and environmental groups on either side of the Tongass Land Management Plan amendment can agree on one thing: the Forest Service needs to complete a full inventory of young-growth Tongass timber.

Owners of Southeast Alaska’s largest remaining lumber mill say it could close next year. It’s part of an ongoing battle over logging in the Tongass National Forest.

Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart said the agency’s analysis shows that transition is possible in 16 years.