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Home , Economy of Alaska, Rampart Dam, Subarctic, Taiga

1973 USDA SERVICE GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-2

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AND NEEDS IN THE OF

This file was created by scanning the printed publication. Text errors identified by the software have been corrected; however, some errors may remain.

AUSTIN E. HELMERS AND CHARLES T. CUSHWA PACIFIC NORTHWEST FOREST AND RANGE EXPERIMENT STATION US. DEPARTMENT OF FOREST SERVICE PORTLAND, OREGON ABSTRACT

An appraisal of taiga (the northern of ) environment research opportunities and needs was made based upon accomplishments since Alaskan statehood, current involvement of citizens in resource issues, information needs incident to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and needs of new resource manag- ing agencies and changing ownerships brought about by statehood and the settlement of aboriginal claims. Based upon this appraisal, it is proposed that the research needs can best be met through a multidisciplinary interagency program. The program suggests closer coordination among several departments of the University of Alaska and a number of State and Federal agencies currently involved in applicable research. The urgency of research implementation is related to rapid change and diminishing opportunity to insure orderly development of Alaskas resources.

Taiga environment information needs encompass five major problem areas: --the fundamental --water-air-flora-fauna relationships in natural and perturbed environmental systems. Fire effects--characteristics of fire, fire ecology, and the effects of fire upon entire resource systems. Water---soil--runoff relationships are com- plicated by . Soil erosion and water quality will respond to fire, fire control methods, land clearing, outbreaks, construction, and industrial developments. Culture--people will determine resource management; thus, what "Alaska" means to people the world over will influence the extent to which resource development and use is consistent with preserving environmental quality and natural beauty. Economics--goals and objectives in resource developments, and development of plans and policies.

Keywords: Taiga, Alaska, research, resource management, environment. INTRODUCTION in 1867. By the 1920s, research on various renewable resources received The purpose of this discussion is to attention with the growing awareness of focus attention on research opportunities their potential usefulness and of the need and needs in the taiga of Alaska and sug- for management. A big impetus in re- gest a means of getting on with the tremen- search, concerned mostly with engineer- dous task of obtaining facts upon which to ing problems, came in the- 1940s with evaluate future resource management expanded military activity. alternatives. A steady growth of research related The Alaskan taiga has acquired to natural resources in the past two international significance as people look decades has contributed to an understand- to the and to meet re- ing of the complexities of taiga environ- source needs of an expanding population ments, how exceedingly sensitive they and economy. In addition to food, fuel, are to change, and to a realization of how and building material, there is an increas- much research is needed. Nevertheless, ing need for a healthful environment, only limited funds have been expended on recreational opportunities, and research to determine the impact of mans esthetically pleasing . activities on the Alaskan environment.

Taiga is a circumpolar zone of pre- In contemporary Alaska, man is dominantly coniferous forest, with tall only beginning to influence the operation in dense stands along the southern edge which of natural systems on a substantial scale. become progressively shorter and less As human activities increase, the need dense toward the northern line. The for information about resource manage- Alaskan taiga, located primarily in the ment and about social and economic fac- interior of the State, is bounded on three tors also increases. Problems that will sides by the south slopes of the Brooks confront all resource managers in , the north and northwest slopes of are beginning to be recognized. There the , and the Canadian are many opportunities for studying border. The western boundary includes natural ecological systems and for develop- the lower and ing basic information about them which valleys, Norton Sound, base of the Seward will be necessary for decisions in a Peninsula, and the. lower Kobuk and Noatak broad spectrum of resource problems. River valleys (fig. 1). Approximately 56 percent of the 152 million hectares The National Environmental Policy (375 million acres) in the State is in the Act of 1969 requires Federal agencies to general zone of taiga. About half of the understand and to explain to the public Alaska taiga zone consists of forests and the impact of agency activities on the (fig. 2), the other half of alpine environment. A lack of understanding , bare rock, permanent ice, and of the basic ecological processes in the . taiga is affecting development and use of Alaskas resources. The delay in Knowledge about the Alaskan taiga approval to construct the 1, 290-kilometer began accumulating to a small extent as (800-mile) pipeline across Alaska is the Russians occupied "Russian-America" an example of how this void in basic and increased when the information affects use of Alaskas explored the new land it bought from resources. Figure 1.--Map of Alaska showing major mountain ranges and general zone of taiga. major mountain ranges, associated proc- esses in the intermontane valleys, and sensitively balanced in early stages of development. 2. Mean annual temperatures rang- ing from -10° C. (13° to 15° F.) in the Brooks Range to about 2° C. (35° F.) on the base of the Aleutian Chain. Annual precipitation ranges from 178 to 760 milli- meters (7 to 30 inches) over these same zones; frost-free days range from 50 to 130 annually. Daylight varies from 20 to 24 hours in June to 0 to 4 hours in December. 3. Continuous or discontinuous Figure 2.--Alaskan taiga, showing a variety permafrost (permanently frozen ground) of types, , and bogs, and underlying most of the area. This factor a . Swanson River, 1969. is characteristic of the interior of Alaska and many other at high latitudes. 4. Lightning-caused . A new appraisal of research needs These have occurred in the interior since and opportunities and a reevaluation of prehistoric times--the taiga is a fire existing research programs are timely. environment with its flora and fauna adapted to, or dependent on, frequent There has been more than a decade disturbance by fire. of research accomplishment in interior 5. Frontier environment. The This was a Alaska since statehood. vast "unspoiled" open space is the popular formative period in which socioeconomic conception of Alaska. progress and resource use gradually acquired more purposeful direction. Policies about environmental quality be- came clearer and firmer. The average citizen became more deeply involved RENEWABLE RESOURCES in resource issues.

These factors, combined with Interior Alaska includes wood, water, settlement of the aboriginal land claims wildlife, recreational, and cultural re- and State and Federal land selection, sources. have created new resource managing organizations, changing ownerships, WOOD and changing management aims which have immediate needs for guidelines. The 43 million hectares (106 million acres) of taiga classed as forest land in SETTING the interior constitute about 15 percent of Interior Alaska landscapes are a the tree-covered land in the United States. product of : About 9. 1 million hectares (22.5 million acres) of the taiga are classed as commer- 1. Recent geomorphological history cial forest land and support a net growing which includes glaciation in the three stock volume of 404 million cubic meters

3 (14-1/4 billion cubic feet)(Hutchison 1967). watersheds are highly erodible. In the These forests are capable of a sustained cold-dominated climate, some streams harvest of 10 million cubic meters (358 and rivers are believed to freeze to the million cubic feet) of wood annually. How- bottom during the long winter, and in ever, production and use of the wood many cases overflows and groundwater resource are limited by the northern seepages freeze into large deposits of environment. "stream icings" ("aufeis"), which may persist well into summer. The relationships of environmental factors to tree or forest growth are not Related to precipitation and tem- well understood. The mosaic of taiga perature distribution, streamflow patterns vegetation is attributed to fire (Lutz 1956). vary greatly with high flows during the In some instances fire has indirectly but spring breakup, moderate but variable significantly changed soil temperatures flows (with storm flows sometimes ex- and vegetation. River-bottom white ceeding spring flows) during the summer, sites may deteriorate due to and low or no flows during the winter. lowering soil temperatures and rising permafrost levels as shade increases Water supply, despite its annual from the developing stand ( Viereck 1970). quantity, is a potentially serious problem Increased timber harvesting heightens and will require conservation and manage- problems of spruce regeneration, which ment in connection with mans uses. is inadequate under current logging Floods occur and cause significant de- practices (Zasada 1972) and creates an struction along main streams. The undetermined impact on the environment. Fairbanks flood of 1967 was the largest in recent times, causing damages in WATER excess of $170 million.

The annual water crop from interior WILDLIFE Alaska watersheds is estimated at 617 billion cubic meters (500 million acre-feet). The is closely This is about one-fourth of the United tied to fur, fish, and game. Until Alaska States freshwater runoff and of corre- was purchased by the United States, fur spondingly great power potential. The trading was the main industry. Commer- rivers are of major importance in trans- cial fishing, which began in 1868, then portation, fish spawning, and recreation, became the main industry and still ranks domestic, and industrial uses. as one of the most important. , especially in its early years, would not The abundance of water does not have been feasible without game and fish preclude water problems. Major rivers as sources of food. carry heavy sediment loads, related to numerous tributaries that arise from Dependence on fish and game as a glaciers and icefields, and to the natural source of food, combined with the impor- meandering of these large watercourses tance to the States economy, plus the in broad alluvial valleys. Watersheds need to satisfy demands for sport without glaciers and permanent snow and fishing place consumptive uses of usually produce water of good quality wildlife high on the list of valuable re- and of major importance to fish and sources of the State. Nonconsumptive human use, but the of such uses, such as nature study, photography,

4 and seeing , animals, and fishes in (State of Alaska 1970). The role of their natural , are also important interior Alaska recreation will be impor- considerations. tant not only in relation to the needs of the United States and , Alaska must also consider her role but also to the needs of the rest of the in insuring the continued protection and world. The word "Alaska" has a special enhancement of breeding habitats for meaning to people the world over--a many migrating , as well as her meaning that is usually related to wilder- international responsibility in preserva- ness, wildlife, and spectacular scenery tion of endemic species in danger of in an uncongested environment. extinction elsewhere. Consequently, management of Alaskas wildlife resources CULTURE will continue to be one of the most com- plex issues facing resource managers. Alaskas cultural dimensions vary from the metropolitan penthouse dweller RECREATION to the trapper. Within this range the following groups are identified: Where but in Alaska can one walk from an icefield to the ocean in half a Resident day, or drive for hours with a view of the highest mountain in North America, or a. Indigenous or aboriginal peoples-- visit primitive cultures and experience Athapascan, Eskimo, and Aleut. a step back in time where man is still living close to nature? b. Nonindigenous peoples--from locations throughout the world. The importance of recreation does 1. Permanent resident--Alaska not mean that finding its place in the is home. resource management balance will be 2. Temporary resident--people simple. For example, Rogers (1962, in Alaska for short periods p. 53) pointed out that "Alaskas vast of time, such as military empty spaces... have tangible or intan- personnel, some university gible values as amenity resources in students, or individuals a society which is becoming increasingly with large companies who congested, as recreation resources, move frequently. and as elbow room for the perfection and maintenance of a modern military Nonresident machine [referring to national defense withdrawals in Alaska]. Unfortunately, a. Visitor or tourist--in Alaska to these uses are not entirely compatible see,, use, or enjoy its resources and, as in the case of the more tradi- but not to become resident. tionally defined natural resources, choices must be made. " b. Nonvisitor--hears about Alaska, sees it on television, or reads Outdoor recreation in Alaska is about it and is concerned, but forecast to continue rapidly increasing, does not come to Alaska to use based upon doubling of the States popula- its resources. tion and a sevenfold increase in the num- ber of tourists during the next 30 years

5 The 302, 760 residentsi/ are scattered the state needs now more than anything across the 152 million hectares (375 else is more precise and integrated know- million acres) of Alaska in a variety of ledge about the northern environment settings--ranging from native villages, and related problems of land management towns, and metropolitan areas to the and development" (Cooley 1966, p. 93). individual homestead or wilderness cabin. Development of the needed research capa- These resident groups have a wide array bility to provide management alternatives of ideas, experiences, education, philoso- is in its infancy. phies, values, and concerns about re- source use and environmental quality. The depth and complexity of re- search needs are determined by the Complexity of the cultural environ- characteristics of taiga. The taiga is ment is increased when the nonresident one of the youngest, more primitive and dimension is added. Opinions, concerns, least understood or plant-animal and ideas are frequently based on a brief systems on earth. The cold-dominated visit, reading, or television. environment.. , manifest in part by large areas underlain by permafrost, affects Individuals from all these groups life processes and biological production. influence the future of Alaskas environ- Although temperature is a dominant factor, ment and resources. other parameters, such as solar radia- tion, moisture, nutrients, and the geo- DIMENSIONS OF logic youth of the land surface, are also RESEARCH NEEDS important influences on flora and fauna. The combination of severe environment The urgency and scope of research and the paleoclimate has led to ecosys- needs are determined by the rapid change tems in which an individual element of and the diminishing opportunity to insure the system is extremely sensitive to, or orderly development of Alaskas resources. dependent on, the other elements. As a Alaska, the largest of the 50 States, con- result, populations or environmental tains more land than the combined States parameters fluctuate dramatically follow- of Washington, Oregon, California, Ari- ing small disturbances; the passage of zona, and . a tracked vehicle leaves a scar for decades; postfire recovery of Current and impending economic forage in the takes 40 to and social developments, such as expand- 100 years; and the disturbance of a gentle ing recreation and , improving slope underlain by permafrost can cause transportation systems, oil, gas, coal, large-scale soil movements and stream and mineral exploration and development, sedimentation within a single season. and settling aboriginal land claims, are requiring long-term resource use and The complexity of taiga manage- management decisions. Yet the capa- ment is due in large measure to the bility of this northern environment to cause and effect relationships between support mans interests and activities permafrost and terrain, climate, flora, has not been determined. A statement and fauna. It is the close interrelation- made in 1966 holds true today: "What ship and delicate balance of factors that is meant by the frequently mentioned "fragile ecology, " with reference to 1/ 1970 census. interior Alaska.

6 There is an increasing demand for classifying production in terms coexistence between industrial progress of wildlife. and natural beauty. Hence, in the taiga of f. Identify successional stages of Alaska, resource use for economic gain vegetation that are critical in habitat re- must include maintenance of environmental quirements for different wildlife species quality. However, the basic cost of doing and determine the effects of disturbance business in interior Alaska will continue on wildlife habitats. to be high. Technological advances make g. Develop simulation models to possible continuation of many basic predict the consequences of management operations year-round but not without manipulations on productivity and biomass, increased cost. energy flow, and and nutrient turnover in cold-dominated ecosystems. The more critical gaps in know- ledge about five major problem areas FIRE EFFECTS involve the following informational needs. The particular susceptibility of the ECOLOGY taiga to fire is due to climate and vegeta- tion types. Fundamental factors in fire Research in this area deals with ecology are fire intensity and behavior, fundamental climate-soil-water-plant- which are functions of fuel, weather, and animal relationships in natural and dis- topography. Information is needed on: turbed systems. Information is needed a. Fire characteristics and the to: ecological effects of fire on interior vege- a. Determine the environmental tation systems. Present knowledge is conditions and plant successional trends only general. leading to major vegetation types, such b. The effect of fire on hydrologic as white spruce, paper , and , factors and soil stability, known now only and the vegetation composition and suc- in principle. cessional responses to such disturbances c. The effects of fire upon entire as fire, clearing, logging road construc- resource systems. tion, and recreational use. b. Develop a habitat classification Filling this informational gap will system based upon air-soil-water-plant- require a continuing integration of know- animal relationships and interactions in ledge about how fire affects taiga resources, disturbed and stable systems. both social and ecological. c. Determine growth patterns for white spruce, aspen, paper birch, black WATER spruce, and balsam poplar and correlate these patterns with environmental patterns, Watershed dynamics is one of the especially temperature, soil moisture, least understood aspects of the taiga. and soil nutrients. The precipitation-soil-plant-runoff rela- d. Determine the effects of abiotic tionships appear to be extremely complex, factors on the dynamics of forest and probably due in a large measure to perma- range insect populations. frost. Information is needed to: e. Determine the productivity of a. Develop mathematical or concep- taiga ecosystems for wildlife food tual models of hydrologic processes. and the degree of use by different wild- b. Develop methods and obtain life species; develop procedures for accurate hydrologic data on several

7 undisturbed localities preparatory to is confronted with similar needs, i.e., designing research in disturbed areas. to make a living from the land under his c. Quantify soil erosion and changes ownership. Consequently, his demands in water quality accelerated by fire, fire and impacts will parallel or become more control methods, land clearing, large- intensive than those of other groups. scale insect defoliation, road construc- tion, and industrial developments such The Federal Government currently as the trans-Alaska pipeline. manages public resources according to a variety of policies, of which the National CULTURE Environmental Policy Act of 1969 is one of the more recent. These policies As land selection proceeds in Alaska, attempt to maintain or enhance environ- four major groups of landowners will mental quality while developing and using emerge: resources. Federal resource manage- State of Alaska ment agencies have accumulated consider- Alaska native able experience in Alaska as well as in Individual or corporate other States. The Federal Government Federal Government. is therefore able to put proven policies and methods into use and to assist new Several State agencies have a long management groups in developing initial history of resource management in Alaska guidelines. through experience gained in the terri- torial government some years before What has this to do with cultural or statehood. Since statehood, the State social problems ? Policies and philosophies agencies have been assuming increasing about resource use and environmental responsibility as the States landholdings quality arise from people. We know that grow. Concerns of the Department of in Alaska there are tremendous variations Natural Resources parallel those of the in experience, attitudes, values, and Federal Government, with the added bur- philosophies among cultural groups. den of making larger inputs into the States Therefore, a reasonable deduction seems new economy. Therefore, an immediate to be that a wide range of attitudes and concern is how to use resources under policies concerning use of Alaskas re- the jurisdiction of the State for economic sources may emerge from these diverse gains in keeping with local, State, national, groups. and international concern about environ- mental quality. Ideas of the indigenous people may vary considerably from those of the non- The Alaska native is the most recent indigenous group. Within the nonindige- group concerned with resource manage- nous group the permanent residents ment. The granting of 16 million hectares ideas may not be compatible with those (40 million acres) of land to sustain an of temporary residents. No doubt the increasing quality of life for the native resident and the nonresident will view will probably place more intensive de- the use and development of Alaskas mands on this land than will be placed on resources differently. Each cultural the land under the jurisdiction of the group will have ideas, opinions, and State. philosophies that will influence policy and ultimately the use and development The individual landowner in Alaska of Alaskas resources.

8 Therefore, the desires of the people Jorgensons review (1963, p. 22): must be considered if recurring issues

such as the proposed Rampart power pro- The high cost of living is attributable ject, the trans-Alaska pipeline, and nu- principally to the cost of import of most of the clear device testing on Amchitka Island necessities of life, to the naturally greater are to be resolved. Information is needed expense of living in a far-north environment, to determine: and the business philosophy that is keyed to high interest and a quick return on investment. a. What is the "real value" of Alaska? What does the word "Alaska" mean to In the process [of high prices and high people the world over? wages interacting to keep the cost of living b. What is the State governments going up] the competitiveness of Alaskas re- responsibility to its citizens, the citizens sources and products on outside markets seriously suffers. of the other States, and the rest of the world? c. How do these meanings relate to Nathan (1970), in summarizing the development of the States resources? economy of Alaska from a national view, d. What changes in the meaning of felt there were many problems of an "Alaska" have taken place during the past economic nature to be solved, and chal- few decades as transportation, communi- lenges for the future were the combina- cation, and industrialization increased? tion of a vigorous rate of economic growth, e. What changes should we expect a wholesome and healthy environment, during the next decades? and the degree to which Alaska has or f. What action should be taken to develops her human resources. He insure orderly development and use of believed that: resources consistent with preservation a. The citizens of Alaska and their of environmental quality and natural beauty? leaders should seek to determine their goals and objectives, taking into considera- Answers must come from Alaskans tion the needs and wants of the people of as well as from residents of the other 49 Alaska relative to the expanded resources States who share the responsibilities, that will be available to them, and costs, and benefits of a democratic society, b. Alaska needs to undertake some and from interested people in other coun- imaginative planning and must formulate tries. Only if this information is coupled carefully conceived policies to avoid with the basic biological facts on land much waste and missed opportunities. capability and condition in this northern environment will we be able to provide a OPPORTUNITIES FOR sound basis to resolve conflicts of interest MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH in the future development and management of the States resources. Management activity influences the taiga system; therefore, research capa- bility must also be aimed at determining ECONOMICS the impact of mans decisions and activities on the system rather than his impact on The complex economic situation in a single element or part. Alaska has been and is being studied by experts on the national, State, and local Since most elements of these sys- levels. According to Johnson and tems are extremely sensitive to or depen- dent on other elements, few studies can

9 be unique to single disciplines. Komarek Soil Conservation Service; Institute of (1971) summarized such multidisciplinary Northern Forestry of the U.S. Forest needs in terms of a proposed cooperative Service; Bureau of Sport Fisheries and ecological experiment station for Alaska. Wildlife; Bureau of Land Management; This approach had been discussed in Environmental Protection Agency; Alaska Alaska previously and has been imple- Agricultural Experiment Station; and the mented elsewhere; the Taiga Research International Biological Program in the Station of the University of , the coniferous and tundra biomes. Subarctic Research Station of McGill University, and the Finnish Kevo and A steady growth in research since Oulanka Stations are examples. the mid-1940s by the University of Alaska and a number of other universities Research on any-one facet of the and agencies, mainly through contracts, taiga system necessarily involves many grants, and the internal programs of some interacting factors of the environment. agencies, was recently supplemented with The informational gaps identified pre- what might be termed "ad hoc" research viously are not mutually exclusive with related to environmental issues associated respect to environmental factors, re- with the proposed 1, 300 kilometer trans-Alaska search studies, or research disciplines. pipeline. Some of this research is funded For these reasons, a multidisciplinary or conducted by oil companies, some is research approach, including social, conducted by resource management agencies, economic, and ecological aspects, should and some is being done under the Inter- be considered for the taiga in Alaska. national Biological Programs Tundra research. Also, there are probably few large areas where the opportunities for inter- By Executive decision, the Depart- agency, public and private, cooperation ment of Agriculture is responsible for and coordination in research are greater Federal forest research, which is in turn than in interior Alaska--and there are delegated to the Forest Service by depart- probably few areas where interests in mental administrative regulations. such cooperation and coordination pro- vide a better climate for it. Cooperation Forest Service research, as a con- and coordination with agencies, groups, tinuing activity in interior Alaska, began and individuals must be a significant in 1957. During 1970, the U.S. Forest feature of this approach to fill major Service recognized the opportunity for a informational gaps as quickly as possible. more active role in developing intensive Working arrangements among agencies taiga research programs. Consequently, need to be coordinated and cooperative a multidisciplinary research unit was agreements established or strengthened. established in July 1971 with seven Examples are the University of Alaska scientists to develop the new research and several universities in the conter- program at the Institute of Northern minous States; the State of Alaska Depart- Forestry. The mission of this group ments of Natural Resources, Fish and is to understand the ecology of the Game, and Environmental Conservation; taiga and associated environments and National Weather Service; U.S. Geological to provide a sound basis for orderly Survey; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers development of resources consistent Alaska District and the Cold Regions with maintenance of environmental Research and Engineering Laboratory; quality.

10 The President, in his February 8, and manpower preclude research on all 1971, message on environment to the problems of the whole of interior Alaska. Congress, stressed the need for Federal The immediate program should be limited cooperation with the State of Alaska in a on geographical rather than agency, dis- land use planning effort for the area north ciplinary, or ecological lines. That is, of the Porcupine, Yukon, and Kuskokwim within a key area the major ecosystems Rivers. This cooperative agreement was should be considered. The key area accomplished November 22, 1971. The should be the middle and lower Tanana Northern Alaska Planning Study Team, River valley and the adjacent Tanana-Yukon consisting of more than 20 Federal and uplands. This area is selected because State employees, was assembled with the it is representative of the Intermontane objective to collect, analyze, and display Plateau, the landform of largest extent data in developing a regional land use in the interior, and the area of rapidly policy for northern Alaska within 2 years. expanding industrial development and This effort was expanded in. August 1972 resource use, with related problems of into the Resource Planning Team, Alaska environmental protection. This would Land Use Planning Commission. not preclude attention to other areas as opportunities and the need to formulate future program plans arise. The main All of the present and anticipated program effort would be centered around efforts by these groups directly on Fairbanks. the taiga environmental research oppor- tunities. Therefore, it is essential that Due to the limited accessibility of this program coordinate and participate potential study sites, research should be in common fields of interest. concentrated on a few study areas to the extent consistent with study objectives, SHORT-TERM PROGRAM with major research efforts concentrated on the Caribou-Poker Creeks Research It is highly urgent that a multidisci- Watershed and the Bonanza Creek Experi- plinary research program for the Alaska mental Forest. Supplemental study areas taiga be implemented. Alaska provides will be needed, however; and considera- a rare opportunity for us to combine all tion should be given to establishing areas information, experience, and technology representing the wide range of ecological with the desire to protect our environ- conditions in the taiga of Alaska. These ment and demonstrate that we can use areas would be used to test the impact of and develop Alaskas resources without mans activities on the environment, while destroying her natural beauty and environ- appropriate portions of each area would mental quality. Modern man can live in be maintained as research natural areas harmony with nature--we should not pass to preserve and study natural processes up this excellent opportunity to demon- in taiga systems. strate our capability. By this view, the overall research need is to understand PROGRAM LIMITS the environments and the consequences of technology upon them. For some time, analyses of research needs and the subsequent selection of GEOGRAPHIC LIMITS individual studies should be flexible in approach, scope, and detail in response Limitations in physical facilities to new information, to changing needs of

11 resource-oriented programs, to gradually research groups; however, these efforts intensifying management practices, and could be more closely coordinated through to the climate for financial support. increased funding using existing research Based on a reasonably clear view for the facilities to develop an integrated program next few years, a 5-year research program of research to solve the previously men- time unit is logical. tioned problems.

The need for information about the ANTICIPATED ACCOMPLISHMENTS Alaskan taiga over the next 5 years will be possibly greater than for any previous The foregoing research program is or future 5-year period in Alaskas his- to provide information for major develop- tory. It is this period that will encom- ments including: some 40 million or pass the major thrust of the Northern more hectares of land coming under new Alaska Planning Study Team efforts. It management and ownership--the State is within this period that the resource for the remainder of Statehood Act land management plans, and perhaps manage- selection, and the Eskimo and Indian ment precedents, will be initiated on as much village councils for the land allotments as 16 million hectares (40 million acres) of in the settlement of their claims; inten- land involved in the aboriginal claims settle- sifying management of Federal lands as ment and on up to some 40 million hectares manifested in the activation of the Northern (100 million acres) selected by the State under Alaska Planning Study Team; expanding the provisions of the Statehood Act. needs of agencies responsible for monitor- ing or controlling environmental quality; A minimum 5-year staffing level and the demands for determining the by disciplines including scientists from environmental impacts of public manage- all agencies would result in the following ment of resources. level of research effort: The anticipated accomplishments , Man-years of to be attained to a level effective for effort needed resource management, are: annually a. Determination of fundamental Ecology 4 ecological relationships in resource Fire (control and effects) 8 management in order to provide for Forest diseases 3 resource use and benefits with the least Forest 3 environmental damage and to predict Watershed and aquatic the results of different management habitats 3 systems. Wildlife habitats 3 b. Effective fire control methods Social, economic, and developed from research on weather recreation 3 modification, lightning sensing, fire Total 27 danger rating, fire detection and recon- naissance, fire control planning, and The cost to implement the proposed fire attack methods. program is estimated at $80, 000 to c. Determination of the relationship $100, 000 per scientist man-year. A of wildlife to the economy of interior substantial contribution can be and is Alaska, and the impact of fire, industrial, being made by university-State-Federal and recreational developments on wild- life use and management.

12 d. Determination of insect impacts people of the United States. As method- on vegetation important for wildlife forage ologies develop, consideration should and for recreation enjoyment, and develop- also be given to expanding this survey ment of control methods for minimizing to the world population. impacts and maintaining environmental g. An evaluation of the basic capa- quality. bility for fulfilling recreational needs on e. Interim guidelines for resource a sustained basis while maintaining maxi- managers--State, Federal, and private-- mum environmental quality. based on available information from all h. A determination of the productive outside and local sources with the under- capability of the land and environment, as . standing that modification and revision basic to assessing the economic needs, will be necessary as research results present and future, of the State. The and experience are gained under Alaskan supply of raw materials, feasibility of conditions. using these resources, and the real need f. Determination of the "value" of or demand for products purchased are Alaska to Alaskans as well as to other basic informational gaps.

REFERENCES Cooley, Richard A. 1967. Alaska, a challenge in conservation. 170 p. Madison: Univ. Wis. Press.

Gourdeau, E., M. E. Britton, and J. C. Reed [n. d.] The arctic dilemma: man and his environment vs. resource development. 26 p. Washington, D.C., and Montreal, : Arctic Inst. North Am.

Hardy, Charles E., and James W. Franks 1963. Forest fires in Alaska. USDA Forest Serv . Res. Pap. INT-5, 163 p. , illus. Intermountain Forest Range Exp. Stn., Ogden, Utah.

Hutchison, O. Keith 1967. Alaskas forest resource. USDA Forest Serv . Resour . Bull. PNW-19 , 74 p. , illus. Pac . Northwest Forest Range Exp. Stn., Portland, Oreg.

Johnson, Hugh A., and Harold T. Jorgenson 1963. The land resources of Alaska. 551 p. New York: Univ. Pubis , Inc.

Komarek, E. V., Sr. 1971. A summation of "Fire in the Northern Environment, " and a suggestion for a cooperative ecological experiment station. In Fire in the northern environment, a symposium, p. 257-265. USDA Forest Serv. Pac. North- west Forest Range Exp. Stn., 275 p. , illus. Portland, Oreg.

Leupold, A. Starker, and F. Fraser Darling 1953. Wildlife in Alaska, an ecological reconnaissance. 129 p. New York: Ronald Press Co.

13 Lutz, H. J. 1956. Ecological effects of forest fires in the interior of Alaska. U. S. Dep. Agric. Tech. Bull. 1133, 121 p., illus. Washington, D. C.

Nathan, Robert 1970. The economy: a national view. In The Alaska survey and report: 1970-71, p. 68-70. Anchorage: Res. Inst. Alaska, Inc.

Rogers, George W. 1962. The future of Alaska: economic consequences of statehood. 311 p. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press.

Sater , John E. (Coordinator) 1969. The arctic basin. 339 p. Washington, D. C. , and Montreal, Quebec: Arctic Inst. North Am.

Spurr, Stephen H., Ernest F. Brater , Michael F. Brewer, et al. 1966. Rampart and the economic development of Alaska. Vol. 1, Summ . Rep., 62 p. Rampart Dam-Alaska Econ. Dev. Proj . , School Nat. Resour . , Univ. Mich., Ann Arbor.

State of Alaska 1970. Alaska outdoor recreation plan. Vol. 1, summary, 42 p. Juneau: Dep. Nat. Resour .

Viereck , Leslie A. 1970. Forest succession and soil development adjacent to the Chena River in interior Alaska. Arctic Alpine Res. 2(1): 1-26.

Z as ada, John C. 1972. Guidelines for obtaining natural regeneration of white spruce in Alaska. USDA Forest Serv . Pac . Northwest Forest Range Exp. Stn. , 16 p. Portland, Oreg.

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U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1973-797-113 /54 REGION 10 The mission of the PACIFIC NORTHWEST FOREST AND RANGE EXPERIMENT STATION is to provide the knowledge, technology, and alternatives for present and future protection, management, and use of forest, range, and related environments. Within this overall mission, the Station conducts and stimulates research to facilitate and to accelerate progress toward the following goals: 1. Providing safe and efficient technology for inventory, protection, and use of resources. 2. Development and evaluation of alternative methods and levels of resource management. 3. Achievement of optimum sustained resource produc- tivity consistent with maintaining a high quality forest environment. The area of research encompasses Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and, in some cases, California, , the Western States, and the Nation. Results of the research will be made available promptly. Project headquarters are at: Fairbanks, Alaska Portland, Oregon Juneau, Alaska Olympia, Washington Bend, Oregon Seattle, Washington Corvallis, Oregon Wenatchee, Washington La Grande, Oregon. The FOREST SERVICE of the U. S. Department of Agriculture is dedicated to the principle of multiple use management of the Nations forest resources for sustained yields of wood, water, forage, wildlife, and recreation. Through forestry research, co- operation with the States and private forest owners, and man- agement of the National Forests and National , it strives as directed by Congress -- to provide increasingly greater service to a growing Nation.