ARRA Funding Supports Sealaska Natural Resource Jobs

In 2009 Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also referred to as ARRA. The Act was the Obama administration’s direct response to the nation’s economic crisis and to stimulate the economy in part by creating new jobs and saving existing ones. According to the White House, approximately 8,000 Alaska jobs will be created as a result of ARRA.

“Under ARRA, Sealaska was awarded $610,000 to sustain silviculture jobs by allowing seasonal crews to work through the winter,” said Chris E. McNeil, Jr., Sealaska president and CEO. “Silviculture is the art of managing forest re-growth after harvest to improve the quality and mix of the trees and to improve ground vegetation important for wildlife. ARRA projects included removing limbs from the lower braches of trees, thinning the number of trees in forest stands to accelerate tree and ground vegetation growth and piling slash to enhance access.”

New work consisted of silviculture on 400 acres of young growth forest on Sealaska land in the Big Salt area north of Klawock, and on 375 acres of Kake Tribal young growth forest in the Gunnuk Creek area east of Kake.

Sealaska is on the leading edge of forest management in Southeast Alaska according to State Forester Chris Maisch. “Sealaska’s pioneering work in managing the quality of re-growth and habitat in stands previously harvested is now being applied on a large scale and is an investment that will pay in the future.”

“Their work is establishing models of different silviculture treatments that will demonstrate to other private, state and federal lands managers results achievable if similar practices are applied on their lands.”

According to a McDowell Report completed last year, Sealaska was the single largest source of employment on Prince of Wales Island (POW) in 2008, with approximately 210 Sealaska related jobs. The ARRA funds allowed the corporation to sustain more than 20 field positions on POW and in Kake and two professional administration positions during the off season according to Rick Harris, Sealaska executive vice president. “The winter work funded by ARRA further expands Sealaska’s significant contribution to the Prince of Wales and Kake economies.”

“The Forest Service played an integral role in the ARRA award by supporting Sealaska’s receipt of the funds due to the quality of its silviculture program,” said McNeil. “The ARRA award is recognition of our Sealaska ability to create new commerce and jobs by improving forest ecology through active management of re-growth after harvest.”

Sealaska has spent over $16 million on its lands over the past 17 years and invested over $1.5 million in silviculture in 2009 according to McNeil.

View examples of Sealaska silviculture efforts below:

Example of Basal Pruning Near Kake Alaska
This image shows 30 year old trees in a unit near Kake, Alaska. It was harvested by the US Forest Service in 1973 and subsequently selected and managed by Sealaska. The stand was pre-commercially thinned in 1993 and basal pruned in 1997. Basal pruning produces higher value wood and encourages the growth of clear wood (knot free). These forest management techniques stimulate the growth and maintenance of understory plants for deer browse.

Black Bear Valley Near Klawock Alaska
This image shows a stand that was harvested by Sealaska in 1981. The 29-year old stand is in Black Bear Valley on Prince of Wales Island. In 1982 trees were hand planted in the unit. In 1994 the stand was pre-commercially thinned and in 2009 basal pruning was performed. These forest management techniques stimulate the growth and maintenance of understory plants for deer browse. Sealaska constructed a trail through the stand so that the pubic has the opportunity to see Sealaska’s silviculture work.

careers

media

FAQ

Join Our eNews Network