Nearly 700 locations in Tongass National Forest streams could stop fish from migration. This is according to a recent report by the U.S. Forest Service. There is a solution to fix the culverts and roads that were that are causing the issues.
In the 50s and 60s the harvest of timber was widespread across Southeast Alaska without plans for the way that all constructionsuch as roads, culverts and bridges -would affect the habitats of fish over time. The deterioration of habitats has turned out to be a huge issue for fish.
“Fish move, so it is imperative that they have this chance,” said Sheila Jacobson the fisheries program manager at the U.S. Forest Service.
Jacobson is leading a brand new project to restore all 700 crossings along the Tongass that don’t meet federal standards. Jacobson says that the fish that migrate -including steelhead, salmon and trout are able to swim through human-caused barriers leftover from the times of heavy logging.
“This project is really aimed towards restoring fish passage through roads and motorized trails which have caused fragmentation of fish habitat across the entire forest” Jacobson said.
The Federal agency has been documenting the stream crossings since the 1990s. In the past, The Forest Service has tried to restore them one at a time when funds permit. They’ve now compiled the entire collection into one single project called The Tongass National Forest Fish Passage Restoration and it will be expanded upon when more crossings are discovered.
Jacobson believes it will simplify the process.
“It helps us prepare to take advantage on the sources of funding that’ve come into the last year or more,” she said. “And the partners can then be able to assist us in obtaining grant opportunities, too. We are having more success in obtaining project funding specifically for this problem.”
The Forest Service isn’t the only one who is restoring streams along the Tongass. It has partnerships with other agencies that include one called the Hoonah Native Forest Partnership. Ian Johnson runs the environmental department of Hoonah Indian Association. Hoonah Indian Association. Over the past five years they’ve been running programs which have employed local people working to restore watersheds in the region. Hoonah is located on the northeastern part of Chichagof Island.
Johnson states that streams in the area have been impacted by the past logs.
“When fish pass through a culvert and there’s a perch on the meter or something else on the backside the public can spot it,” Johnson said.
Johnson states that about six years ago, the tribe conducted a survey of the members of the community on environmental issues. He says stream restoration was listed as the top priority. Johnson says that some members of the tribe were employed in the industry of logging.
“There were many people here who were participant in the process of logging industry and were a part of the process of logging,” Johnson said. “And people who were concerned in the past about the impact of logging into the streams.”
The workers from Hoonah Native Forest Partnership fix bridges and culverts, and also restore wood to watersheds that have lost this natural process due to the logging process. Johnson states that that healthy streams are vital -particularly for those who depend on the land that surrounds them.
“Hoonah as a whole relies on subsistence resources to fulfill its needs, particularly in relation to proteins,” Johnson said. “and requires an environment that is able to provide the resources needed.”
The Forest Service wants to grow partnerships similar to that with Hoonah. Repairing 700 crossings of streams is a lot. This plan spans almost the entire Southeast region, with the exception of Prince of Wales Island. The island is home to more than 2,000 miles of mostly logging roads and also has their own plans for rehabilitation.
A lot of poor logging practices began to change after the passing of the National Forest Management Act. The act regulated the industry of timber by limiting the size of clearcuts and the distance away from rivers they can be.
