Landscape Assessment United States Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
Tongass National Forest R10-MB-495
October 2004
Woewodski Island At a Glance
Location • Central Southeast Alaska, 17 miles south of Petersburg, AK Size • 10,362 acres Private Land • 38.74 acres Peak Elevation • 1,100 feet Population • No permanent residents Mapped Streams • approximately 25 miles Lakes • 203 acres FS trails • Harvey Lake Trail approximately ½ mile long FS cabins • Harvey Lake Cabin and Beecher Pass Cabin Private/Special Use Permit Cabins • 2 Archeology Sites • 12 Mining Claims • 489
(Purposefully Blank Page)
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Alaska Region Tongass National Forest Petersburg Ranger District
For more information, contact: Jim Steward Petersburg Ranger District PO Box 1328 Petersburg, Alaska 99833
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation or marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity provider and employer.
Table of Contents Introduction ...... 1 Landscape Patterns ...... 13 Resource Information ...... 29 Public Comments ...... 107 Possible Opportunities ...... 121 Glossary ...... 127 Appendix A...... 135 Appendix B...... 139 References...... 145 Interdisciplinary Team ...... 151 List of Recipients ...... 155 Index ...... 163
List of Maps Map 1 Vicinity Map...... Map 2 Land Use Designations ...... 5 Map 3 Location Map...... 17 Map 4 Geology of Woewodski...... 21 Map 5 Mining Claims...... 43 Map 6 ROS Classes, Rec Sites and Rec Places ...... 47 Map 7 Woewodski Island Suitable Timber Land ...... 59 Map 8 Streams by Channel Type...... 71
Map 9 VCU 448...... 77 Map 10 Interior Old-growth Habitat Areas ...... 81 Map 11 Marten Winter Habitat Suitability ...... 87 Map 12 Deer Winter Habitat Suitability...... 89 Map 13 2002 Woewodski Island Raptor Survey Results...... 101
List of Tables Table 1. Archaeological Sites on Woewodski Island ...... 33 Table 2. Acres of ROS Class on Woewodski Island...... 46 Table 3. Total Acreage for Lakes and Wetlands on Woewodski Island...... 66 Table 4. Length of Streams and Lakes by Fluvial Process Group on Woewodski Island.. 66 Table 5. Stream Classes including Lakes on Woewodski Island...... 70 Table 6. Volume Strata on Woewodski Island...... 83 Table 7. Important Interior Old-growth Habitat Areas on Woewodski Island ...... 84 Table 8. Habitat Capability Comparison between VCU 448 and Woewodski Island ...... 85 Table 9. Selected Wildlife Species Taken on Woewodski Island between 1990-2003...... 95 Table A-1. Woewodski Island Mineral Deposits in Mining Claims...... 137 Table B-1. Bird Species on Woewodski Island...... 141 Table B-2. Comparison between the existing small old-growth reserve on Mitkof Island for VCU 448 to the area located on Woewodski Island for future potential consideration ...... 143
List of Charts Chart 1. Selected Wildlife Species Taken on Woewodski Island between 1990-2003...... 105
Introduction
Amber Lake is located near Lost Lake and is part of the Beecher Pass Cabin Lake System. There’s a good chance you might catch cutthroat trout in this lake.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 1
(Purposefully Blank Page)
2 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment This section explains the purpose of this across the island, the Forest Service will project. It also identifies Forest Plan have a better understanding of what direction and laws guiding land projects to plan and how to prepare management activities on Woewodski informed decisions on those projects. Island. Secondly, the Tongass National Forest has a ten-year plan that describes About this project ecological processes and resource development plans across the Tongass; A landscape assessment studies the however, the Tongass Land and ecological, social and economic Resource Management Plan (Forest conditions, trends, problems and risks of Plan) is very broad. This assessment a specific geographic area. evaluates in more detail how to apply Assessments evaluate the current the Forest Plan to Woewodski Island. conditions of an area and its resources, This landscape assessment does not including historical use, ecosystem directly result in any decisions. function, vegetation structure and Therefore, it does not require National possible management opportunities. Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review An island-wide assessment of and is not subject to appeal. Rather, this Woewodski was begun for two reasons. assessment provides the informational One reason was to look at relationships context for proposing ways to achieve between ecological processes and long-term goals of land management on forest management of the island. When Woewodski Island. It results in a list of planning watershed enhancements, trail opportunities for possible projects construction, timber sales, or recreation intended to balance a variety of land projects, we focus on small project and resource uses. Some of these areas in one to three year timeframes. proposed projects would still require As resource development proceeds, it further environmental analysis, public becomes increasingly important to review and decision-making mandated understand how the projects “fit” by NEPA. Initiation and timing of together and to anticipate their projects would depend on many factors, cumulative effects. By looking ahead, including funding. considering public comments and evaluating the ecological processes
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 3 Land Use Designations Heritage ANILCA: Alaska National Woewodski Island has a varied and rich Interest Lands Conservation on Woewodski Island Act, Public Law 96-487. history, from prehistoric Indian sites to th early historic period mining to December 2, 1980. 96 Land Use Designations (LUDs) function Congress. similar to zoning regulations. They allow contemporary recreating, hunting and for certain types of activities to occur. mining activities. The Forest Plan directs The 1997 Tongass Land and Resource the management of heritage resources Management Plan (Forest Plan) on both Forest-wide and project specific identifies Woewodski Island within LUDs levels to comply with federal regulations that allow development. The island is (Forest Plan 4-14). Archaeological predominately located within Scenic research and surveys identify, evaluate, Viewshed LUD (8,995 acres) with preserve and protect Heritage isolated areas identified as Modified Resources and identify opportunities for Landscape (total 1,273 acres) (see Map interpretation, public education and 2). These LUDs provide for a mix of recreation (Forest Plan 4-15). resource activities, including timber harvest, mineral development, Minerals recreation, wildlife habitat and viewing, The Forest Plan provides for the fisheries enhancement and scenic exploration and development of mineral enjoyment. resources. It incorporates rights granted to prospectors and claimants under the General Mining Law of 1872, ANILCA Forest Plan Direction and the National Forest Mining Regulations (36 CFR 228), and permits The Forest Plan contains goals, reasonable access to mining claims in objectives, standards and guidelines, accordance with the provisions of an and other direction which are followed in approved plan of operations (Forest planning and designing projects on the Plan 1997:4-33). Forest. A summary of the direction most pertinent to Woewodski Island follows. The Forest Service works to make minerals available for development while minimizing adverse impacts of mining activities on other resources.
4 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 5 (Purposefully Blank Page)
6 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment The Forest Service works with claimants Semi-primitive Motorized, Roaded Recreation Opportunity to develop a plan of operations that Natural and Roaded Modified ROS Spectrum (ROS): provides a meets environmental standards, classes. framework for stratifying and minimizes adverse effects and provides The Modified Landscape LUD manages defining classes of outdoor mitigation measures for impacts to recreation environments, a designated area for the existing surface resources. activities and experience recreation setting and opportunities until opportunities. There are six The Forest Service protects surface approved activities and practices ROS classes: Primitive, Semi- resources by disclosing impacts of the change the ROS setting. Recreation and primitive Non-motorized, Semi- proposed mining operations in a site- tourism use will be managed in a primitive Motorized, Roaded specific environmental document. Only manner that is compatible with timber Natural, Rural and Urban. those activities that are reasonably harvest objectives. In locations where necessary for the proposed operation approved activities change the and ensure the plan of operations recreation setting(s), the Forest Service provides for the prompt reclamation of will manage the new setting(s) with the disturbed areas are approved (Forest appropriate ROS guidelines (generally Plan 1997:3-89). Roaded Modified). The Forest Plan directs maintenance of Recreation and Tourism recreation opportunities along existing The Forest Plan provides for a broad trail corridors by minimizing road spectrum of outdoor recreation and crossings and clearing directly adjacent tourism opportunities consistent with the to the trail. Impacts to areas directly objectives of the Land Use Designation. adjacent to developed recreation and Recreation classes may change tourism facilities (such as cabins and depending on the type of Forest Service campgrounds) will be minimized through projects that occur within the various scheduling and location of project LUDs. In Scenic Viewshed LUD areas, activities. management activities should avoid Finally, in areas identified as inventoried change to inventoried Recreation Places Recreation Places, the existing ROS where possible or unless analysis setting will be maintained where indicates a need to provide a different possible. When approved activities recreation opportunity. In locations nearby may result in a change to the where approved activities occur, the ROS setting, impacts will be minimized recreation setting may change to the
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 7 so they maintain a Roaded Natural or objectives in their design and more natural ROS setting. implementation. The Forest Plan offers specific guidelines for timber harvest Scenery within the Scenic and Modified The Forest Plan recognizes the Landscape LUDs (Forest Plan, 3-126 importance of maintaining scenic quality and 3-135). These guidelines provide for in its allocation of the Scenic Viewshed varying harvest methods and unit sizes LUD for portions of Woewodski Island to reduce the effects upon scenery seen from saltwater. In areas visible to (Forest Plan, 4-76). The potential for forest visitors, recreationists and others managing timber on Woewodski Island from frequent travel routes and use is dependent on high market values and areas, a natural-appearing landscape the resolution of resource conflicts will be maintained. Those areas (Forest Plan FEIS, C-38). topographically screened from view may be modified to a greater degree. Transportation Projects such as timber harvest would The Forest Plan transportation goal is to weigh the scenic value as a primary develop and manage roads and utility environmental consideration. Within the systems to support resource Scenic Viewshed setting, timber management activities, and recognize removal would typically affect only a the potential for future development of minor percentage of the seen area. This major transportation and utility systems would be accomplished by incorporating (Forest Plan 2-5). The Modified partial harvest methods and small Landscape LUD transportation openings in the landscape design. guidelines specify that when developing (Forest Plan, 3-126 and 3-135) and managing transportation systems, special emphasis be given to Vegetation and Timber maintaining fish and wildlife habitat The Forest Plan identifies Scenic values. The guidelines also seek to Viewsheds and Modified Landscape avoid road crossings on existing trails or LUDs as suitable forested land available locating roads parallel to trails (Forest for harvest and includes these lands in Plan 3-143). Scenic Viewshed LUD the Allowable Sale Quantity. Silvicultural transportation guidelines give special activities must emphasize visual quality emphasis to visual quality objectives
8 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment and maintaining fish and wildlife habitat developed recreation sites, will be values (Forest Plan 3-134). reserved. (Forest Plan, 4-83 to 4-85) General direction for riparian resources Soils and Wetlands and associated stream channels In accordance to the Forest Plan, land includes the maintenance of riparian use activities will be planned and areas in mostly natural conditions. conducted to avoid adverse impacts to Riparian Management Areas and soil and water resources, such as management prescriptions based on accelerated surface erosion or siltation stream value classes for fish habitat and of fish habitat (Forest Plan 4-83). stream channel types will be defined. (Forest Plan 4-53 to 4-73) Aquatic Resources The Forest Plan directs the inventory, Fisheries analysis, protection and improvement of Forest Plan directs the maintenance or soil, water and riparian resources. restoration of the natural range and Forest-wide standards and guidelines frequency of aquatic habitat conditions prescribe general and specific to sustain the diversity and production of procedures for the protection of stream fish and other freshwater organisms channels during planning and (Forest Plan 2-2 and 4-9). Areas implementation of timber sales, road designated as Scenic Viewshed will building, mining, recreation and special meet the visual quality objectives in the uses projects. design and construction of fish habitat General direction for soil and water improvements and aquaculture facilities resources includes avoiding irreversible (Forest Plan 3-129). Areas designated or serious and adverse effects on soil as Modified Landscape will follow the and water resources. Water quality and Forest-wide standards and guidelines quantity will be maintained to protect the for fish (Forest Plan 4-8). state-designated beneficial uses. Best Management Practices (BMPs) will be Wildlife/Biodiversity applied to all land-disturbing activities. The Forest Plan provides for the Both ground and surface water rights, abundance and distribution of habitats, including in-stream flow needs and especially old-growth forest, to sustain viable wildlife populations in the
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 9 planning area. Habitat management Laws Directing Resource Multiple Use: making the best aims to support wildlife populations for use of land for some or all sport, subsistence and recreational Management on National resources or related services. activities. An average of 75 structural Forests wildlife habitat improvement projects are Sustained Yield: achievement to be designed and implemented Multiple-Use Sustained Yield annually across the Forest (Forest Plan and maintenance of regular 2-5). Sufficient habitat to preclude the Act of 1960 uses of resources without need for listing species under the This act establishes the uses of National impairment of land productivity. Endangered Species Act due to national Forest land for outdoor recreation, forest conditions will be provided (Forest range, timber, watershed, wildlife and Plan 2-2). fish purposes. The Forest Service is directed to develop and administer the Subsistence renewable surface resources for One of the Forest Plan goals and multiple use and sustained yield. objectives is to provide rural residents, both Native Alaskan and non-Native, the National Environmental Policy opportunity to participate in the harvest Act of 1969 of subsistence resources (Forest Plan 2- This act establishes regulations and 1). Forest standards and guidelines procedures for Federal agencies to were crafted to maintain the abundance consider the environmental impacts of and distribution of subsistence their actions. Documents such as resources necessary to meet environmental impact statements are subsistence needs and demands prepared before projects are approved. (Forest Plan 4-87). Impacts to subsistence uses of fish and wildlife National Forest Management resources will be considered when Act of 1976 managing forest activities. Subsistence This act amended the Forest and uses of fish and wildlife take priority if Rangelands Renewable Resource resources are restricted for other Planning Act of 1974 by requiring land purposes. management plans, adding more detailed policy regarding timber management and increasing public
10 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Native Allotment Act of participation in Forest Service decision- Non-National Forest 1906, as amended: making. Allowed an Alaskan Native Lands or Eskimo to receive up to Roadless Conservation Rule No State of Alaska land selections or 160 acres of vacant and The Roadless Area Conservation Rule unappropriated land from Native Claims Settlement Act land (Roadless Rule, 36 CFR 294.10 the United States. The selections occurred within the landscape January 12, 2001) generally prohibits applicant had to show use assessment area. No Native allotment timber harvesting and road building in and occupancy of the land applications are pending within the roadless areas. The Roadless Rule has prior to the land being landscape assessment area. appropriated. been the subject of several lawsuits. Effective January 29, 2004, actions on Approximately 38.74 acres of the Tongass National Forest are not Woewodski Island is non-National subject to the prohibitions set out in the Forest land under private ownership. roadless rule against timber harvest and This private land has been developed road construction in inventoried roadless and contains cabin and outhouse areas. facilities. Forest Plan direction does not apply to these lands. However, to be Woewodski Island is an inventoried meaningful, an island-wide ecosystem roadless area (#218) and was evaluated assessment must include a look at all for Wilderness suitability in the 2003 land uses on the island. Tongass Land Management Plan Revision Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Forest Plan SEIS). The No Action Alternative was selected in February 2003 and Forest management continues under the 1997 Forest Plan ROD with no further recommendations for wilderness.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 11 (Purposefully Blank Page)
12 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Landscape Patterns
The Beecher Pass Cabin was originally built on Fair Island in 1966. Following the State of Alaska land selection of Fair Island in 1979, the cabin was moved to Woewodski Island.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 13 (Purposefully Blank Page)
14 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment This section provides an overview of the Woewodski is viewed from four water physical, biological and social processes travel routes: the Wrangell Narrows, and interactions that shape Woewodski Beecher Pass, Sumner Strait and Island. It describes the island’s general Duncan Canal. Permanent residences use trends and natural features. and summer cabins are located along In this assessment, both documented the Wrangell Narrows, Beecher Pass place names and those created for and the east shore of Duncan Canal. organizational and reporting purposes Woewodski Island supports many uses are used. The Forest Service invites you including economic, social, subsistence to share your local knowledge and and recreational activities. Sport provide the correct colloquial names of hunting, trapping and fishing also draw sites, streams, lakes, etc. on users to the island. People use the Woewodski Island. Forest Service recreation cabins and frequent Harvey Lake Trail on day trips. Human Uses Occasionally, small tour ships anchor near the trailhead and passengers go Woewodski is a small island (by Alaskan ashore to follow the trail to the lake. standards) of approximately 10,362 Mineral explorations and mining color acres, located about 17 miles south of Woewodski’s history. The interest in Petersburg and 24 miles northwest of mineral development continues today. Wrangell, Alaska. There are no permanent communities established on Nearby Communities the island; however, there are two Residents of nearby communities use privately owned cabins used mainly for Woewodski Island in varying degrees. recreation. One of the cabins is on Past surveys have indicated the highest private land, and the other cabin is use is by residents of Petersburg and under a special use permit. The Forest Beecher Pass. However, public scoping Service also has two cabins on the for this and past projects shows an island. The Harvey Lake Cabin is interest in the management of the island located by Harvey Lake, and the by people from nearly all nearby Beecher Pass Cabin is located on the residential areas (see Map 3). northern shoreline. Both cabins are available to the public by reservation.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 15 Petersburg Wrangell’s economy is based on Petersburg is located on the northern tip commercial fishing, fish processing and of Mitkof Island across the Wrangell timber harvest and processing. Tourism Narrows and north of Woewodski Island. is a growing aspect of the local It has a population of approximately economy. Although Wrangell offers a 3,200 people. deep-water port, the city has mainly catered to the smaller cruise ships. Commercial fishing and seafood Stikine River sport fishing attracts processing have been Petersburg’s independent travelers. main economic sector for 100 years. The second largest employer is Kake government. Other economic sectors Kake is located on northwest Kupreanof include retail trade, construction, timber Island, along Keku Strait. Kake supports and tourism. a current population of about 710 Beecher Pass individuals and has traditionally been an Alaska Native community. Tlingit Indians Beecher Pass is an area of State of built villages and fishing camps in the Alaska selection lands on the southern Kake area in the early 1700s. During the tip of Lindenberg Peninsula on 1800s, these villages were consolidated Kupreanof Island. Most of these parcels at the present site of Kake. have been auctioned off to private citizens and remain unorganized within Kake’s major economic sectors are the borough of Southeast Alaska. The commercial fishing, seafood processing majority of landowners have recreational and government services. Employment cabins, although there may be a few is highly seasonal. A timber industry permanent residents. Several islands in began in 1968 and has been an Beecher Pass remain owned by the important contributor to the economy of State of Alaska. Kake until recently. Kake’s forest products industry has relied upon the Wrangell harvest of nearby timber resources from Wrangell is located on the northern tip of both private and, to a lesser degree, Wrangell Island, southeast of National Forest lands. Woewodski Island. Its population is approximately 2,300.
16 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 17 (Purposefully Blank Page)
18 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Kupreanof fishing community on the northern tip of The City of Kupreanof is located on the Prince of Wales Island. Like Point east side of Kupreanof Island across the Baker, it is an unincorporated city. Port Wrangell Narrows from Petersburg. It Protection is unroaded; however, a short was incorporated as a Second Class skiff ride will access the Forest Service City in 1975. The population is about 23 Road system. and most are economically tied to Port Protection is characterized by a Petersburg for employment, goods and seasonal cash economy based on schooling. gillnet and troll fisheries, and by a Point Baker subsistence way of life. Point Baker is located on the northern tip of Prince of Wales Island, just south Geology and Soils of Kupreanof Island. It has a current population of about 35. Point Baker is Woewodski Island lies near the eastern not an incorporated city, nor is it within a edge of the Alexander Terrane, a block local government jurisdiction. Point of interbedded marine volcanic and Baker is unroaded and is accessible sedimentary rocks that began forming only by water. close to the equator more than 200 million years ago. At that time, the Commercial fishing at Point Baker supercontinent Pangaea was beginning began in the early 1900s when a floating to break up. The breakup initiated fish packer moored in the area. Fishing relative movements between continental remains the primary source of income, and oceanic plates that eventually led to mostly in the form of hand trolling and subduction of oceanic plates along the gillnetting. A few retail and service western edge of the American businesses meet the basic needs of continents. residents and visiting commercial fishermen. Point Baker has one of the In some places, as in Alaska, the upper highest per capita subsistence harvests parts of the oceanic plates were scraped in Southeast Alaska. off as the lower parts sank underneath the continental margins. These so-called Port Protection “accreted terranes” make up most of Port Protection, population of Southeast Alaska. Accretion of the approximately 60, is another small Alexander Terrane occurred between
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 19 144 million years ago and 120 million part of a 375-mile long northwest- Contact metamorphism: years ago, during the early Cretaceous trending belt that runs the entire length changes in preexisting rocks period (Conner and O’Haire, 1988). of Southeast Alaska. This belt includes or chemical activity deep within the earth’s crust due The majority of Woewodski Island is the Greens Creek VMS deposit on northern Admiralty Island (Still et al., primarily to heat from an made up of late Triassic (about 210 igneous intrusion million years ago) marine volcanic and 2002). Geochemical and isotopic sedimentary rocks of the Hyd Group studies suggest that the Woewodski Lithology: the character of a (see Map 4). Most of these rocks have Island and Greens Creek host rocks, rock formation or of the rock found in a geological area or been altered from a low to moderate and the mineralization within them, are stratum degree through regional and contact equivalent in age and origin (Robinson, metamorphism, and ongoing tectonic 2002). Greenstone: metamorphic displacements. Lithologies include: Kuroko-type VMS deposits are rock formed from mild black slate, greenstone, basaltic tuff important sources of copper, zinc, lead, regional metamorphism of (rock formed from basaltic volcanic ash silver and gold worldwide (Iizasa et al., ferromagnesian igneous and rock fragments), limestone, felsic 1999). The depositional environment is rocks (basalt and gabbro) (rhyolitic) tuffs and tuff breccia believed to be an oceanic island arc. Breccia: rock made up of (Robinson, 2002). The process that forms these deposits angular fragments of other About 15-20 percent of the island is can still be observed today in certain rocks made up of Cretaceous plutonic rocks “hot spots” on the sea floor. Submarine Plutonic Rock: rock formed identified as hornblende diorite. A few volcanoes eject a near-magmatic fluid, directly from magma that small Mesozoic gabbro intrusions are rich in dissolved metals, up toward the cooled slowly at considerable also mapped on the island (Still et al., ocean floor. When the fluids encounter depth beneath the earth’s 2002 and Karl et al., 1999). The cold sea water, the dissolved metals surface, allowing mineral northwest-trending Duncan Canal Fault combine with sulfur to form minerals that crystals to grow to visible size Zone cuts through the middle of the fall out of the water column and coat the island. sea floor. These minerals, called Diorite: a medium- to sulfides, may contain iron, lead, Hyd Group rocks in Southeast Alaska, coarse-grained plutonic rock, copper, or zinc. They are deposited in a gray to dark gray, including those on Woewodski Island, zoned pattern, depending on their occassionally greenish to host numerous Kuroko-type solubility, with the most insoluble metals brownish gray volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposited closest to the fluid source deposits, a type of base and precious Gabbro: a dark-gray, metal ore deposit that forms on the sea coarse-grained plutonic rock floor (Seal et al., 2002). These rocks are that cools slowly at depth from magma that is more fluid than granite magma
20 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Map 4 Geology of Woewodski Island. This map was created by the Bureau of Land Management for Technical Report 51: Mineral Assessment of the Stikine Area, Central Southeast Alaska.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 21 (Purposefully Blank Page)
22 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Sulfides: a group of (Mavrogenes, 2002). Sulfide minerals resulted in the formation of gold-bearing minerals in which sulfur is on Woewodski Island include pyrite quartz veins in and around the contact in combination with one or (FeS2), sphalerite (ZnS), chalcopyrite zones. more metals (CuFeS2), pyrrhotite (Fe1-xS) and galena Robinson (2002) describes a third Magma: molten rock (PbS) (Still et al., 2002). mineralization event on the island that is material beneath the solid Barite lenses and precious metals such less well understood. This platinum- crust of the earth that as silver and gold are also associated lead-gold mineralization is associated solidifies to form igneous with VMS deposits. On Woewodski with intrusive Cretaceous gabbro rocks at or below the Island, silver and gold are found both in tentatively located on the north side of earth’s surface free form in veins and disseminated in Brushy Creek. Three other small gabbro sulfide-bearing deposits. The distribution intrusions are mapped along the of barite on the island is limited, shoreline. These could presumably host although the nearby Castle Island barite similar mineralizations. lens in Duncan Canal (most of which See Appendix A for a listing of the has been mined) is hosted in the same mineral deposits found in mining claims group of rocks, and is probably related on Woewodski Island. to the Woewodski Island deposits. A massive sulfide deposit on the south end of nearby Butterworth Island is the only massive sulfide in the Duncan Canal area known to contain significant gold and silver (Still, et al., 2002). The hornblende diorite mapped on the island is associated with a second wave of mineralization that occurred during the Cretaceous period. Dioritic magma entered the earth’s crust and cooled slowly at depth, but in close enough proximity to the existing metal-rich Triassic rocks to cause them to melt or partially melt and recrystallize along cracks or fissures near the contact. This process, called contact metamorphism,
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 23 blowdown. Small areas of natural Vegetation second-growth forest have developed in these stands. Areas of previous harvest The vegetation on Woewodski Island is associated with mining activities support a mosaic of mostly old-growth second-growth spruce and hemlock temperate rainforest and wetland plants, stands, some of which are nearly a much like the rest of Southeast Alaska. century old. See the photos below and Some tree stands on slopes with a across. southern exposure have experienced
This picture shows the stamp mill at Maid of Mexico during operations in the 1930s. Notice the cleared area for the mill and log cabin. This historical picture was provided by Jean Tudor and Pat Roppel.
24 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment This picture was taken during a Forest Service archaeological survey of the Maid of Mexico mining site in the early 1980s. Notice the tree regeneration around the log cabin.
The forest consists of approximately 85 cabbage, salmonberry, bunchberry and percent western hemlock and lesser several species of blueberries. The most amounts of Sitka spruce, mountain productive forests develop on well- hemlock, Alaska yellow-cedar and drained sites. western redcedar. Most of the forest The Woewodski Island landscape is consists of a mix of tree sizes and ages, interwoven with large expanses of including some dead trees. Woewodski muskeg that occur mostly on level, low is part of the northern-most limit of the elevation terrain. Muskeg vegetation is a geographic range of western redcedar. mixture of sedges, deer cabbage, Alder is prevalent on slopes that have sphagnum mosses and low-profile experienced mass slope failures and shrubs including Labrador tea and bog other areas with heavy disturbance. laurel. Stunted, slow-growing shore pine Dense understory plants grow where grows on less saturated muskeg areas. enough sunlight can penetrate the forest Very small ponds dapple most muskegs. canopy. Understory plants include The elevation of Woewodski is relatively devil’s club, rusty menziesia, skunk low, ranging from sea level to about
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 25 1,100 feet on the northern ridge, with an January and the average maximum average elevation of about 500 feet. temperatures is 63.6° F for the month of Endemic: restricted to a Consequently, subalpine or alpine July (Western Regional Climate Center). particular locality. For vegetation is relatively rare. example, a particular species or subspecies may Wildlife and Biodiversity occur on only one or a very Climate and Hydrology few islands. Some of the most common large The regional climate is strongly mammals on Woewodski Island are the influenced by a nearly constant Sitka black-tail deer, Alexander procession of storms originating from a Archipelago wolf, moose and black semi-permanent low pressure system bear. There have also been called the Aleutian Low (USDA Forest unconfirmed sightings of elk on the Service, 2001). Maritime air masses island and neighboring Mitkof Island. originating over the warm waters of the Black bear and moose occur in very low Pacific Ocean transport moisture to the numbers. Important furbearers, such as islands and coastal mountain ranges of the river otter, beaver, mink, marten and the Alexander Archipelago. The ermine are also found on the island. movement of moist air masses over Surveys pertaining directly to endemic topographic boundaries results in heavy mammals have not been conducted on precipitation and strong winds. Extreme Woewodski Island. It is unknown if any floods in Southeast Alaska result from rare endemic terrestrial mammals rainstorms occurring in the fall and inhabit the island. winter (Jones and Fahl, 1994). Average Most bird species common to Southeast total precipitation in nearby Petersburg, Alaska can be found on Woewodski Alaska is 105 inches per year. Snow Island. The island is located in the accumulations can vary widely from center of a major wintering and molting year to year, especially at lower area for waterfowl and seabirds. Its elevations where warm temperatures lakes and many ponds serve as and winter rains can result in a transient important resting and feeding areas for snow pack. Petersburg receives an migrating birds and waterfowl. average total snowfall of 107 inches per year. The average minimum Raptor sightings on Woewodski Island temperature is 20.9° F for the month of include Queen Charlotte Goshawk,
26 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk Fisheries and Merlin. According to the latest Petersburg Ranger District Bald Eagle Numerous small fish-bearing streams Nest Tree Atlas, there are thirteen bald have been identified on Woewodski eagle nest trees on Woewodski Island. Island. Cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden There are no known osprey nests; char can be found in most of the however, unconfirmed sightings in the streams as well as some coho salmon. vicinity of Harvey Lake have been Most of the freshwater fishing reported. opportunity centers on Harvey Lake due Blue grouse, brown creepers and hairy to the easy access created by the woodpeckers have been sighted on the Harvey Lake Trail. However, island. Concentrations of marbled Woewodski Island contains several murrelets have also been observed; small freshwater lakes and ponds, however no comprehensive murrelet totaling approximately 203 acres. surveys have been conducted. The marine waters surrounding An adult boreal toad was observed Woewodski Island are very productive. recently on the island. The population The Duncan Canal/Kah Sheets area status of amphibian and reptilian provides very important habitat for species living on Woewodski Island is shrimp, crab, waterfowl and sockeye unknown. salmon. Beecher Pass provides Marine mammals known to inhabit the important commercial, sport and waters adjacent to Woewodski Island subsistence fishing, and recreational are the humpback whale, Pacific white- use. The Wrangell Narrows is used for sided dolphin, killer whale, harbor commercial and sport trolling for king porpoise, Stellar sea lion and harbor salmon. Also, the island’s surrounding seal. The humpback whale, an waters are used for Dungeness crab endangered species, doesn’t typically fishing. enter shallow waters surrounding the island, but harbor seals and porpoises are commonly observed.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 27 (Purposefully Blank Page)
28 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Resource Information
Remnants of the old the stamp mill from the Helen S mining era.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 29 (Purposefully Blank Page)
30 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment This section explains the existing proposal is funded, the proposed project resource conditions on Woewodski would be planned and reviewed Island. Extensive fieldwork and surveys according to the NEPA process. The were conducted during the summer of projected timeline of this proposal is 2002 for this project. three to five years. NEPA analysis for a proposed timber Past Analysis harvest on Woewodski Island is In the early 1980s, the Petersburg scheduled for completion in 2006. Ranger District began analyzing Timber harvest occurring on Woewodski Woewodski Island for timber Island must meet the requirements of development. Through the NEPA Scenic Viewshed or Modified process, the Whiskey Timber Sale Landscape land use designations Environmental Analysis was produced. (LUDs). These LUDs allow timber Public comment and resource issues harvest but place restrictions on their indicated the need for an Environmental visibility. Impact Statement. The Woewodski Island EIS was begun; however, the project was cancelled by the District Ranger in May of 1989 due to other pressing priorities.
Current/Planned Projects Currently, there are no ongoing projects on Woewodski Island. We are in the process of developing a proposal to replace the Harvey Lake Cabin. The Capital Investment Proposal, a Forest Service funding allocation process, includes new cabin construction to accommodate more overnight visitors. The cabin and outhouse facilities would both be designed to accommodate users with physical handicaps. If the
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 31 the Forest Plan Land Use Designations Heritage Resource: an Heritage require inventory, evaluation, historic or traditional cultural assessment, monitoring and protection property, an ancient or Heritage Resource Program of heritage resources. The State Historic historically significant object Preservation Officer reviews and that possesses integrity of Heritage Program goals include location, or an area where comments on all heritage work required identifying, evaluating, preserving and historic properties abound protecting the heritage resources that under NEPA. The Forest Plan also like the historic district of a exist on National Forest Systems land. addresses the need for heritage town or city. resource inventory, evaluation, In addition, Forest Plan standards and Historic Property: a guidelines make heritage resources protection and interpretation across the Forest regardless of LUD or project property that is either historic available for recreational, scenic, or prehistoric and has proposal. This provides opportunities for scientific, educational, conservation and significance in American historic uses in accordance with historic educational and outreach projects to history, architecture, preservation laws. Due to the sacred meet noncompliance heritage program archaeology, engineering or and nonrenewable nature of some sites, goals. culture. site-specific heritage information is not Woewodski Island Traditional Cultural always released to the general public. Property: an historic Archaeology sites are protected under Archaeological Sites property whose significance Federal laws and regulations. It is Numerous archaeological surveys have is derived from the role the unlawful to remove or disturb artifacts been conducted on Woewodski Island property plays in a from a site. If you should find a site, you over the past few decades. Most of the community’s historically are encouraged to contact a Forest work was associated with proposed rooted beliefs, customs and practices. Service archaeologist. The Forest Forest Service activities, including trail Service is interested in your local and cabin construction, special use knowledge and appreciates your permitting for mineral exploration and participation. extraction, and timber sale preparation Historic Preservation Management such as harvest assessment and road and log transfer facility (LTF) proposals. Legislation, regulations and guidelines Between 1981 and 2002, twelve cultural are used to implement historic resource surveys of various sizes and preservation policies and requirements intent helped record past island use. In under the National Historic Preservation the summer of 2002, Forest Service Act. All project proposals within any of archaeologists revisited some of the
32 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment previous survey areas and known sites, sediments hundreds to thousands of plus investigated some new terrain. years old. Table 1 lists the island’s Standard archeological survey known archaeological sites, including techniques, which include archived those discovered in 2002. Site types research, pedestrian survey and ground include prehistoric period camps and penetrating sampling, were used. The fish weirs or traps, historical mining total 2002 survey covered about 110 sites, cabins and a control station. acres. Most of the work was concentrated along the shoreline where Prehistory archaeological sites tend to be Woewodski Island lies within the concentrated. Lake shorelines and traditional territorial boundaries of the stream banks were also surveyed. Wrangell or Stikine Tlingit. The Stikine Woewodski Island’s rich and varied territory is very large, extending from the cultural past is reflected in the Cleveland Peninsula north to Cape archaeological remains found buried in Fanshaw, southwest across the east half of Kupreanof Island and south Table 1. Archaeological Sites on Woewodski across Sumner Strait to include Red Island. Bay and Thorne Bay on Prince of Site Number Type Age Wales Island. All of Etolin, Mitkof, PET-151 Trappers Cabin 1930s Wrangell and Zarembo Islands, and some territory up the Stikine River are PET-166 Hattie Camp 1900 included (Goldschmidt and Haas PET-237 Maid of Mexico 1914 1946:73). Woewodski Island is Helen S and Olympic PET-248 1902 relatively small and is nestled among Mining Residences larger islands with more diverse PET-249 Fish Trap Prehistoric landscapes. It does not have features PET-259 Control Station 1940s like large productive fish streams, PET-503 Fish Weir *3,510 BP broad sandy beaches or deep PET-506 Camp Prehistoric protected bays that often drew PET-507 Camp Prehistoric permanent and seasonal Native PET-508 Camp Prehistoric settlement. Evidence of prehistoric occupation is, however, present and PET-509 Camp Prehistoric Site 6 Cabin 1900s *BP = years Before Present
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 33 appears to represent several thousand made of sharpened bough or sapling Shell Midden: a buried heap years of use. stakes that were driven into tide flat or of bivalve shells, charcoal Prehistoric Camps and Fish Traps stream sediments with hammers or and bones that were tossed rocks. Each stake was sharpened at aside after harvest and meal Two basic site types were discovered by one end with a stone adze and preparation. archaeological survey and through tips hammered deep into the sediments. from informed citizens. The most Fish Traps: a series of Traps and weirs were configured in common prehistoric sites on the island stakes positioned to form an different shapes and sizes and are campsites, often synonymous with entrapment. functioned either independently or as a shell middens. Shells will survive for part of a larger complex. Sometimes Fish Weirs: stakes aligned thousands of years in the soils typical to like a fence to form a barrier sticks and branches were interwoven Southeast Alaska. Bits of charcoal and across a stream channel. among the vertical stakes to form tighter bone are preserved among the shells barriers. and together they can tell us about the different foods people ate, the age and These sites are usually recognize by duration of a site occupation and the finding small nubs of wood protruding prehistoric ecology of the area. from tide flat sediments or stream buffers and banks. The nubs are what is The camps on Woewodski appear left of long stakes that would have relatively small and might represent use extended several feet above the of a more temporary nature for a small sediments. group of people. The sites may have accommodated family groups intent on Preservation is remarkable in tide flat harvesting a certain species at a sediments because often little or no air particular time of the year. The island can reach the buried organic material. A might also have provided a good stake was collected for radiocarbon stopping place in route to larger and analysis from one of the Woewodski more established camps or settlements. sites. The stake is around 3,510 years old, suggesting a long history of Fish traps and weirs are the second prehistoric use of the island. most common sites in the area. A couple were found on the tide flats Since stream channels and tide around the island and more are sediments shift, sites are revisited reportedly in Beecher Pass. Traps and periodically to record portions that are weirs, which function differently, are newly exposed. It is important for the casual observer to leave stakes in
34 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment place, for once they are removed they Smith’s Camp and the Maid of Mexico. will deteriorate rapidly and are of no The Hattie was staked by J. W. Range value scientifically. in 1900. Wrangell prospector, Charles Smith, staked the Helen S in 1902. Both History mines were a collection of claims ER Butterworth was Historic Period Mining eventually owned by the Olympic Mining president of the Company of Washington state. Most of Woewodski Island’s historic Olympic Mining Hattie Camp became a substantial Company. The small period sites are associated with early 20th century mining. Those noticeable community and was officially renamed island to the west of “Woedsky” when a post office was Woewodski Island is on today’s landscape were small gold mines, namely the Hattie, the Helen S at established in December 1901 (Roppel, named for him. 2001). Soon the mining settlement
Viola Range was the first postmaster of Woedsky Post Office.
Picture of Hattie Camp in full operation. Historical picture provided by Jean Tudor and Pat Roppel.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 35 included a company store, a cold that time. Nevertheless, Harvey erected storage, residences, mine related the mill sometime during 1903 and early structures and a wharf connected to the 1904. mine by a 1000-foot long tramway. The Ore milled at Helen S. was reported to mine structures consisted of a 360-foot average $3.66 in gold per ton, which tunnel and a shaft sunk to 135 feet was too low for profitable extraction. The (Wright and Wright, 1908). mine workings operated periodically Harvey Lake was Work continued at Hattie Camp for a through 1907 and a small amount of originally called Spear few years but company officials were work was done in 1915. Sometime Lake after Frank W. not pleased with the results. By shortly thereafter, the mill at Smith’s Spear, who was the December 1907, the post office was Camp was dismantled (Berg and Cobb, secretary for the closed and in 1911, the buildings at the 1967). Olympic Mining camp burned. Reportedly no ore was The Maid of Mexico mine was another Company. The name actually mined from the Hattie lode Edward Harvey enterprise. He acquired changed when Edward (Berg and Cobb, 1967). the mining rights from Charles Smith Harvey became the Operations at the Helen S mine began who originally staked the claim in 1910. company’s vice- under the guidance of Edward E. In 1914, Harvey deeded the rights to the president and general Harvey, the Olympic Mining Company Maid of Mexico Mining Company, a manager. vice-president and general manager company he and his brother owned with (Roppel, 2001). Harvey believed the several other partners. Harvey’s Helen S had more potential than the company excavated some tunnel and a Hattie, and set up Smith’s Camp in shaft for ventilation but made no attempt Adit: a nearly horizontal 1903. The camp consisted of to put the mine into production (Roppel, passage from the surface residences, storage facilities, a corduroy 2001). in a mine. road, additional camp-related structures Over the next 25 years, the rights to the Drift: a nearly horizontal and a wharf. Mine features included a Maid of Mexico were leased and mine passageway driven twenty stamp mill and compressor plant, improvements were made. Crosscut on or parallel to the course two shafts, and 650 feet of drifts and adits and drifts were excavated to of vein or rock stratum. A crosscuts (Wright and Wright, 1908). expose the ore-bearing veins (Chapin, small crosscut in a mine According to Roppel (2001), a twenty 1916). A drag stone mill was connecting two larger stamp mill was an enormous investment constructed to pulverize the ore and tunnels. for unproven ground and only two other over a mile of corduroy trail was laid mines in Southeast had larger mills at between the workings and the beach
36 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment (Roppel, 2001). At one point during structures built throughout the years operation, horse and cart were used to included a bunkhouse, a cookhouse, log transport coarse ore from the mine to cabins, a powder house and a the beach (Roppel, 2001). The ore was blacksmith shop (Roberts, 1984). Total hauled by horse and sled to Harvey production probably did not exceed 100 Lake, transported by boat across the ounces each of gold and silver. Aside lake and then carried by cart to the from some contemporary interest, the beach. last reported activity at the mine was in In 1931, a ten stamp mill was delivered 1939 (Berg and Cobb, 1967). to the site. Additional mine related
Edward Harvey’s residence on Woewodski Island. Historical picture provided by Jean Tudor and Pat Roppel.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 37 Other Historic Period Sites as seen in the photograph on this page The dilapidated remains of abandoned of a spruce in Alexander Bay. cabins can be found along the Another Woewodski Island historic site Woewodski shoreline. These cabins is the Deception Point Control Station. were generally simple and small, and The U. S. Coast Guard operated the often served as temporary shelters for Control Station under a special use trappers and hunters. Various agreement with the Forest Service advertisements in the Alaska Sportsman during World War II. The overall mission magazine suggest plenty of reasons for of this facility and staff was to monitor the many cabins that dotted the coast. A vessel traffic in the Wrangell Narrows. A 1938 article indicates, “wolves bring a Forest Service Special Use Permit was [$]20.00 bounty” (Alaska Sportsman, issued in March 1943 for the station. 1938). Classified advertisements read According to a 1944 condition report, “CASH PAID for good specimens of improvements to the area included eagles, hawks and other predatory barracks, a control tower, a float and birds” or “WANTED, golden eagle tails, trails. By summer 1946, the property wings, bear skulls and hides” (Alaska had been vandalized. A letter from the Sportsman, 1940). Coast Guard to the Forest Service In the first half of the 20th century, indicates that unauthorized persons had Alaska pelt prices were high enough to removed windows, doors, lumber and entice many to the trapping business. In hardware from the property. Soon after, 1943, the Maas-Steffen Co. of New York the Forest Service sold the remainder of had been purchasing Alaska furs for 25 the improvements to the Reid Brothers A shelf chopped into the side of years. The company claimed “Furs will of Petersburg (USDA Forest Service, a spruce for a marten trap set. be very high this year, in fact so high the 2003). O.P.A. is expected to set a ceiling price In a 1985 interview with Mr. Jimmie on them” (Alaska Sportsman, 1943). Stafford, he recalled visiting the site Aside from cabins, trap line evidence every couple of weeks for inspection can be found on old spruce and during the war. He said that all ships hemlock trees that grow along the coast. were expected to use signal lights to Trappers would, and still do, chop a communicate with the Guardsmen. The small shelf into the side of a tree for Coast Guard signalmen would challenge placement of a mink or marten trap set the boat and the captain would reply
38 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment with a name and call letters. The information would be checked against existing records before the vessel was allowed to pass (Roberts, 1985).
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 39 primary mineral of interest. For details Minerals regarding the island’s historic period mining sites refer to the previous History Heritage Resource section. Mineral exploration and mining activity Mining Rights on Woewodski Island began around the turn of the twentieth century. Exploration The General Mining Law of 1872, as waned between the 1940s and 1960s, amended, grants every United States only to increase in the 1970s. Currently citizen the right to prospect and explore there is a renewed interest in the public domain lands open to mineral island’s mineral potential. Records entry. Prospecting simply means indicate that gold was and remains the exploring mineral-bearing grounds.
Remains of the twenty stamp mill brought to the Helen S mine in the early 1900s by the Olympic Mining Company.
40 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Patented Claim: Exploration methods might include submitted to the federal agency that ownership of surface and surface reconnaissance, non- manages the public lands for approval mineral rights of the claim mechanized drilling, or panning. prior to mining. found to be valid are After a prospector has conducted transferred to the claimant Recent/Current Exploration (creates private land) exploration work, he or she may locate a claim in an area believed to contain a Activity Plan of Operations: valuable mineral. Claim staking means Recent and current exploration projects describes how the claimant to define surface boundaries to mineral proposes to develop the on Woewodski Island by mining rights. A valid claim entitles the holder to mineral deposit; subject to claimants include subsurface core NEPA and management develop the minerals. Claimants must drilling, soil and rock sampling, and agency approval pay an annual maintenance fee of $100 geophysical surveys. Access to the per claim to hold a claim on public land. mining claims is by helicopter or by foot. Core Drilling: exploratory A staked claim remains public land but There are currently no roads on the drilling that produces a the mineral rights are held privately. rock core that enables the island. prospector to identify Once a claim is staked, the claimant can Core drilling involves the use of a small subsurface rock types and submit an Exploration Plan. The portable drilling rig with a footprint of determine mineralization at Exploration Plan outlines the sampling about 6 x 9 feet. The drill is typically specific points methods used to study the sought after transported to the general location of the Soil and Rock Sampling: deposits. These methods often mean drill sites by helicopter and then moved a process of mineral mechanized drilling or coring. from site to site with a winch. Drilling exploration in which Once a claimed mineral deposit is depth is up to approximately 500 feet. surface material is determined to be economically Water is pumped from nearby streams collected for analysis recoverable, and at least $500 of or ponds into the drill hole to lubricate Geophysical Surveying: development work has been performed, and cool the drill head. the art and science of the claim holder may file a patent Soil and rock samples are obtained by inferring the distribution of application to obtain title to surface and hand from digging shallow holes or subsurface physical mineral rights. A patented claim is no trenches and collecting surface material properties, such as longer public property. from naturally occurring exposed rocks, geological characteristics, Mining refers to underground excavation soil and stream sediment. Material using measurements taken obtained from core drilling and rock and at or above the surface. to remove mineral resources. Some open-pit workings are also considered soil sampling are removed from the field mines. A Plan of Operations must be for analysis.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 41 One method of geophysical surveying makes use of radio signals from very low frequency transmitters placed on the ground to measure conductivity and resistivity of underlying mineralized bodies and layers. In 2002, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) completed a mineral assessment project that included an examination of several locations on Woewodski Island. Surface samples revealed that several of the sites showed sufficient mineralization to warrant additional exploration. The results of this exploration work has increased the interest in the development potential for minerals such as gold, zinc, lead, silver and copper.
Current Mining Claims The BLM Mining Claim Report shows that as of June 17, 2003, a total of 489 mining claims are located on Woewodski Island. This indicates that approximately 94% of the island is currently covered by mining claims (see Map 5).
42 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 43 (Purposefully Blank Page)
44 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Recreation and Tourism surrounding islands have been designated as a marine park by the Woewodski Island is about 17 water Division of Parks and Recreation in the miles from Petersburg. The route State of Alaska. The State plans to through the Wrangell Narrows is a fairly manage these areas to protect their protected, safe waterway for small traditional and aesthetic values. Long- boats. The island is an easily accessible range plans may include the installation recreation destination for Petersburg of marine park facilities on selected residents. tidelands. The islands affected by State Recreation use on Woewodski Island is designation comprise approximately 742 mostly concentrated along the shoreline acres. and in the vicinity of the two Forest There is one private cabin, under a Service public recreation cabins at Special Use Permit, located on the north Beecher Pass and Harvey Lake. Harvey side of Woewodski. It is a recreational Lake is accessible by trail or floatplane. cabin, not a year round residence. The half-mile Harvey Lake Trail begins The Whiskey Pass area that separates at saltwater and ends at the west end of the western shore of Woewodski Island Harvey Lake. Attractions and from Butterworth Island is frequently developments at the Harvey Lake Cabin used by small boats. Beachcombing and include a sand beach, rowboat with other day use activities occur on oars, picnic table, fire pit and grill. Woewodski Island in this general The Beecher Pass cabin is located on vicinity. In the winter, some cross the northwestern tip of Woewodski country skiing takes place on the island. Island opposite Fair Island. It primarily The eastern shore of Woewodski Island serves as an overnight stop or staging is also important from a visual quality area for hunting and fishing in Duncan standpoint. The Wrangell Narrows serve Canal. as a major north/south ferry Beecher Pass is used as a major travel transportation route. artery for boaters traveling from Petersburg to Duncan Canal. Several private residences and recreation cabins are accessed by this travel route. The Beecher Pass waterway and its
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 45 Recreation Opportunity risk. No roads are present in the area. Spectrum (ROS) Most of Woewodski Island is classified as Semi-primitive Non-motorized. To describe, identify and quantify Table 2. Acres of ROS Class on Woewodski recreation settings, the Forest Service Semi-primitive Motorized areas are also natural or natural-appearing Island. uses the Recreation Opportunity ROS Class Acres Spectrum (ROS). The ROS categorizes environments generally greater than 2,500 acres in size, but may be smaller Semi-primitive 6286 areas by their activities, remoteness, Non-motorized if contiguous with Primitive or Semi- access and experiences in a spectrum Semi-primitive 2256 of classes from Primitive to Urban (see Primitive Non-motorized classes. They Motorized Map 6). are generally located within ½ mile of Roaded Natural 1820 primitive roads and over ½ mile away Total Acres 10362 Woewodski Island has three ROS from more developed roads and other classes: Semi-primitive Non-motorized motorized travel routes. Concentration
(61%), Semi-primitive Motorized (22%), of users is low (generally less than 10 and Roaded Natural (17%) (see Table group encounters per day), but there is 2). No areas on Woewodski Island were often evidence of other users. There is a classified as primitive because potential moderate probability of experiencing areas considered lacked sufficient solitude, closeness to nature and distance from the sights and sounds of tranquility along with a high degree of human activity. self-reliance, challenge and risk in using Semi-primitive Non-motorized areas motorized equipment. Local roads may are natural or natural-appearing be present, and there may be extensive environments generally greater than boat traffic along saltwater shorelines. 2,500 acres in size and generally On Woewodski Island, the area located at least ½ mile but less than surrounding Harvey Lake is classified as three miles from all roads and other Semi-primitive Motorized because of motorized travel routes. Concentration float planes landing in the lake and of users is low (generally less than 10 motor boat use on the lake. The group encounters per day), but there is southwestern and southern shoreline of often evidence of other users. There is a Woewodski is also classified as Semi- high probability of experiencing solitude, primitive Motorized because of the small freedom, closeness to nature, boat traffic in the area. tranquility, self-reliance, challenge and
46 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 47 (Purposefully Blank Page)
48 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Roaded Natural areas are There are five Recreation Places on predominantly natural environments with Woewodski Island (see Map 6): Recreation Places: specific moderate exposure to the sights and areas identified by the Forest • Harvey Lake, Harvey Lake Trail and Plan that have one or more sounds of humans. This includes areas Forest Service cabin (21128.01) less than ½ mile from roads open to physical characteristics which • Harvey Lake trailhead and adjacent public travel, waterways, major power are particularly attractive to shoreline (21128.00) people for recreation activities; lines and within resource modification activities can be dispersed areas. • Beecher Pass Forest Service cabin and private special use cabin area throughout the recreation place On Woewodski, the shorelines on the (21126.00) or be concentrated at a northwestern, northern and eastern specific recreation site. sides of the island are classified as • Alexander Bay (21002.00) Recreation Site: a specific Roaded Natural, which suggests more • Waterfowl hunting area on west site and/or facility found within development and less solitude than coast shoreline across from a Recreation Place, such as a Semi-primitive Motorized. In this case, Butterworth Island (21127.00) boat anchorage or developed less solitude means more contact with There are three Recreation Sites on facility like a trailhead or others in boats along the shoreline. recreation cabin Woewodski Island. These include the These boats include small private two Forest Service public recreation recreation boats, commercial fishing cabins and the boat anchorage in vessels, small cruise ships and Alaska Alexander Bay. State ferries. There are also a number of people who regularly boat past All the Recreation Places and Sites on Woewodski to access permanent and Woewodski Island are in Modified summer residences in Beecher Pass Landscape or Scenic Viewshed LUDs. and Duncan Canal. The Forest Plan direction for Recreation Places in these LUDs is to seek to Recreation Places and Sites maintain the existing ROS class. When approved activities nearby may result in Since the majority of the Tongass a change to the ROS class, the impacts National Forest is undeveloped, it is should be minimized so that a Roaded primarily used for dispersed recreation Natural or other more natural ROS class activities. Woewodski recreation users is maintained. mainly view scenery and wildlife, boat, fish, beachcomb, hike or hunt on the island.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 49 Existing Recreation Facilities needed. Haider hand-carried or used a The existing public recreation facilities tractor to haul supplies and equipment on Woewodski include two Forest up the trail to the west end of the lake, Service public recreation cabins and then boated or sledded loads across the one developed trail to Harvey Lake. lake to the mine. The Forest Service conducts annual In a 1930 letter, Harvey asked the inventories and inspections of the Forest Service to construct a permanent recreation facilities on Woewodski trail from Duncan Canal to the lake. By Island. Maintenance and repairs are that time, Harvey Lake had become a scheduled as needed. popular place for Petersburg and Wrangell residents to swim and picnic. The Harvey Lake area with the They enjoyed the warm water and recreation cabin, boat and picnic area, sandy beach, and the raft and and trail leading to it from saltwater is springboard built by Mr. Harvey. The the most developed area on the island. Forest Service reconstructed the trail The cabin does not get a lot of use the following year, in 1931. compared to some others on the Petersburg Ranger District. Some The Harvey Lake Trail is approximately people are hesitant to anchor or long ½ mile long and gains about 100 feet in line a boat half a mile away from the elevation from saltwater to the lake. It is cabin where they cannot check it rated Trail Class 3 in a system where regularly with the changing tides and Class 1 is the least developed and most weather conditions. In 2002, it was difficult to hike and Class 5 is the most reserved for about 20 nights. The cabin developed and easiest to hike. This guest register records very positive moderately easy trail passes through visitor experiences at the cabin and Sitka spruce and western hemlock some fall and winter use as well as forest before reaching Harvey Lake. It summer use. receives day use that is hard to quantify outside of outfitter/guide use, which is A trail to Harvey Lake was first cleared controlled by Forest Service permit. The in the late 1920s. Edward Harvey leased trail was recently reconstructed in 2000 the Maid of Mexico Mine on the north and a May 2003 trail condition survey side of the lake to Leo Haider. Access to shows it to be in good condition. the mine from Duncan Canal was
50 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment The Beecher Pass cabin receives more with boat access to many places in use than Harvey Lake cabin, most likely Beecher Pass and Duncan Canal. because of its saltwater access and proximity to Duncan Canal. In 2002, the Outfitter/Guides cabin was reserved for about 60 nights. Since 1994, three different The experience people seek at the two outfitter/guides have used Woewodski cabins is somewhat different. The Island for their business operations. One Harvey Lake cabin offers hiking, lake outfitter has taken groups to hike on the and lakeshore activities, while the Harvey Lake Trail in the years 1994, Beecher Pass cabin is saltwater based 1995, 2000 and 2001. The groups
Harvey Lake Cabin is available for public reservation. Developments at the lake include a sand beach, rowboat with oars, picnic table, fire pit and grill.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 51 ranged in size from 32 to 66 people, with the average size of 54 people. Each group spent 1.5 to 3 hours in the area. In the four years of use, groups hiked on the trail on 17 separate occasions. Most of the use was in 1994 and 2001. In 2001 and 2002, another outfitter/guide took a group of 8-9 clients to hike and enjoy the scenery on Harvey Lake Trail. This guide took one group each year. A kayak outfitter used the south end and southeast part of Woewodski during 1996 (6 times) and 1999 (twice) for overnight camping and replenishing water. The group sizes were most often 7-8 with one group of 15 and one group of 12.
52 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment located near the southern entrance of Scenery the Wrangell Narrows. The island receives high use from Many people value the natural Petersburg residents and visitors and is appearing scenery of Woewodski Island. viewed extensively from all surrounding The scenic condition is an important water locations. The Forest Plan has characteristic that contributes to the identified these waterways as Visual quality of recreational experiences and Priority Travel Routes from which scenic physical settings found on the island. quality is to be emphasized. During 2002, visibility of Woewodski Located to the east of Woewodski Island from Visual Priority Travel Routes Island, the Wrangell Narrows serves as and Use Areas was verified and passage for the Alaska Marine Highway. corrections made to the visual resource The island is situated at one of the inventory. Photographs were taken of narrowest stretches of the marine the island from key viewpoints. highway, providing close observation viewing opportunities for passengers. Woewodski’s Scenic To the north and west of Woewodski Environment Island, Beecher Pass affords access to The Woewodski Island landscape is Duncan Canal and the numerous private characterized by rounded landforms cabins located on the southern end of with several more dominant ridgelines. the Lindenberg Peninsula on Kupreanof The island appears mostly forested, Island. Recreational boaters and broken by occasional creek mouths commercial fishing vessels are the vegetated with brighter green sedges primary users of Duncan Canal, which is and grasses. A considerable amount of also the route to the many Forest muskeg is found within the island Service cabins in the area. Beecher interior, which does not appear evident Pass is also an Alaska State Marine from outside viewing. The shoreline Park, designated by the State to provide character is somewhat diverse with sanctuary for wildlife and marine smaller island fragmentation occurring in animals. the area of Butterworth Island. Only a Sumner Strait, located to the south of few bays and inlets exist. The most the island, is less protected from the significant of which is Alexander Bay
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 53 weather and mostly traveled by Existing Visual Condition commercial fishing vessels, ferries and (EVC): The level of scenic tour ships. quality existing at the present time. Classified as six The Forest Service cabins at Beecher condition types (I-VI) Pass and Harvey Lake, and the Harvey representing changes in the Lake Trail are also considered areas of landscape from ecologically scenic importance. undisturbed to excessive visual Most of Woewodski Island is inventoried alteration, a glaring contrast to in scenic terms as a Type II Existing the natural appearance. Visual Condition, where changes in the landscape are not evident to most people. In areas where development has occurred, such as cabins, trails and some locations of past and current mining activity, the change in the landscape is noticed by most people but does not detract from the natural setting.
54 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment forests, along with yellow-cedar and Vegetation and Timber western hemlock. Mountain hemlock is also found at higher elevations. The Petersburg Ranger District There are a large variety of understory Integrated Resource Inventory (IRI) and muskeg plants. Many species of Windthrow: the act of trees program spent most of the 2002 field being uprooted by the wind. blueberry occur below the canopy, season collecting information on intermixed with rusty menziesia, Woewodski Island resources. One of the copperbush and devil’s club. Various objectives was to collect forest stand species of ferns, lichens and deciduous characteristics. These field plants grow in wet micro-sites. Much of measurements are used to verify the groundcover consists of a thick pad information determined by past aerial of moss over a layer of organic soil. photograph interpretation. The vegetation on Woewodski Island Forest Disturbances consists of coastal temperate rainforest Windthrow species in a mosaic pattern of forests, Wind is the primary cause of natural muskegs and savannah-like forested disturbance in these forest stands. Wind wetlands. The forest has a complex can blow down individual trees or acres structure with many canopy layers. The at a time. Storms, with strong winds dominant tree species is western from the south and southeast, occur in hemlock with varying amounts of Sitka the fall and winter. Consequently, the spruce and Alaska yellow-cedar, south end of Woewodski Island has depending on the fertility and drainage large expanses of wind disturbance; of the site. however, evidence of windthrow is Sitka spruce favors more nutrient-rich found interspersed across the island. and well-drained sites. Western These windblown stands are younger redcedar is found throughout the and more even-aged than the older southern parts of the island but is uneven-aged stands found on the nearing its range limit on the north end northerly wind-protected areas. of the island. The lesser-drained sites Decay are sparsely forested wetlands Dwarf mistletoe is common on the interspersed with muskegs. Shore pine island. This parasite occurs primarily in and mountain hemlock populate these
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 55 western hemlock, causing defect and a loss of vigor in some mature stands. Alaska yellow-cedar trees are dying on Woewodski Island as well as throughout the Tongass National Forest. The cause of this decline is not clearly understood and is currently being researched. Death of the trees is usually associated with saturated soil in muskeg conditions. Dead cedar can be salvaged for many years because the wood decomposition is very slow. Black-headed Budworm The black-headed budworm is one of the most destructive forest insects in Southeast Alaska. These defoliators reduce tree growth and increase mortality in the tops of trees. Repeated infestations may kill the trees after several years. Western hemlock is the Forest vegetation is managed for many preferred species with occasional An example of a windthrown uses. Diverse habitats provide for stand on Woewodski Island. attacks on Sitka spruce. Numerous wildlife species from small birds and outbreaks have occurred on Woewodski mammals to large carnivores. Various Island with no significant mortality. plant species thrive under different tree canopy conditions. Wildlife and plant Managing Forest Vegetation diversity provide for recreation and The Forest Service is responsible for the scenic enjoyment. management of forest vegetation for The Forest Service also monitors forest multiple use and sustained yield. LUDs health, including insect and disease provide further guidance and distribution activity, and maintains the ability to put of resource uses. out forest fires.
56 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Timber Management timber sales for a period of at least three Previous Timber Harvest years, and more often ten years, is maintained. The approximate amount Suitable Forest Lands: Logging has been limited on Woewodski and location of timber planned for those forest lands for which Island. Approximately 50 acres of timber harvest is determined in the Timber Sale technology is available that was harvested in Alexander Bay in the Schedule, which is reviewed and will ensure timber production early 1930s. Timber harvest also updated at least annually. The actual without irreversible resource occurred in association with early amount of timber to be offered from the damage to soils, productivity, twentieth century mining. or watershed conditions; and Tongass depends on market demand for which there is reasonable Under the Alaska Region’s Free-Use and program funding levels. It is also assurance that such lands Program, local residents have harvested subject to the influence of economic can be adequately restocked small groups of trees close to the cycles, catastrophic events, community (young tree grown); and for shoreline for personal use. Generally, dependency, resource needs and which there is management free-use harvest along Woewodski management direction. direction that indicates that Island’s shoreline is light or nonexistent; Timber harvest is scheduled for timber production is an however, from 1983 to1984 appropriate use of that area. Woewodski Island according to the approximately 227 thousand board feet amount of suitable forest lands. (mbf) was harvested. This use increase Approximately 70 million board feet of can be attributed to the sale and sawtimber is estimated to be within the residential development of state lands suitable areas on Woewodski. This on nearby Kupreanof and Mitkof islands. volume contributes to the Forest’s National Forest Lands Suitable and Allowable Sale Quantity calculation Available for Harvest on Woewodski (ASQ). The ASQ is set in the Forest Island Plan as the amount of timber that can One goal of the Forest Plan is to be harvested from the Tongass National manage the timber resource for Forest. production of sawtimber and other wood Woewodski Island is approximately products from suitable forest lands 10,362 total acres. According to current made available for timber harvest, on an inventories, roughly 33 percent of the even-flow, long-term sustained yield island, or 3,396 acres, is classified as basis and in an economically efficient suitable for timber harvest as defined in manner (Forest Plan Part I, page 2-4). the Forest Plan (see Map 7). Of these To do this, a plan that lists scheduled 3,396 acres suitable for harvest, 2,991
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 57 acres are within the land use designation (LUD) for Scenic Viewshed and 405 acres are within a Modified Landscape LUD. The goal of these LUDs includes harvesting timber while maintaining the island’s scenic qualities. Guidelines for specific visual mitigation measures appropriate to timber management are provided in the Forest Plan (3-142). The amount of timber harvest planned for Woewodski Island is affected by the absence of roads and a log transfer facility (LTF). Areas that are not roaded generally have a larger initial timber harvest to offset the associated high costs of road and LTF construction. Proposed helicopter logging also necessitates large sales to account for the higher cost of this logging method. If a road system were developed on Woewodski Island, more opportunity This area is representative of trees in a stand exclusion stage. would exist for future small sales. Further analysis of Woewodski Island is required before it can be determined if there is an opportunity to provide economically viable timber sale offerings.
58 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 59 (Purposefully Blank Page)
60 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Transportation constructed of blasted quarry rock. Typical collector and local roads are 14 Transportation in Southeast feet wide with rough gravel surface. Higher standard arterial roads are Alaska normally 16 feet wide, may have a Classified Roads: roads There are three principal types of travel smooth gravel surface and are designed developed and operated for in Southeast Alaska: air, water and for speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. long-term land resource ground. Historically, marine Travel speed on lower standard roads is management purposes transportation has been the major often controlled more by surface method of moving freight and Arterial Roads: serve large roughness than by horizontal alignment land areas and usually passengers. Air service has developed or road gradient. connect to a public highway to provide rapid transportation to areas. In Southeast Alaska, land and water On the Tongass National Forest, a Collector Roads: serve routes are used to transport resources roaded transportation system has to processing facilities. Log transfer smaller areas and connect to developed largely in support of timber either arterial roads or public facilities (LTF) move resources from harvesting. highways land to water and vice versa. Most LTFs Forest Service roads are constructed to consist of a bulkhead between the road Local Roads: terminal road provide access to National Forest lands. end and the ocean edge. The bulkhead that may connect with They fall into two categories: classified another type of road allows barge and boat access for and unclassified. Classified roads are transfer and transport of the resources Unclassified Roads: broken down into arterial, collector and via water. temporary roads built for local categories. Classified roads are one-time access and then managed through a system of Woewodski Island and decommissioned maintenance levels, depending on Transportation intended use and suitability for various Woewodski Island is a small, unroaded types of vehicles. These range from island, approximately four or five miles Level 1 (closed) to Level 5 (suitable for across in most any direction. If future passenger cars). Unclassified roads resource development projects are are built for one time access to an area considered, road building and LTF and then decommissioned. construction would most likely be Except at a few administrative sites and initiated. campgrounds, most classified and unclassified roads are single lane and
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 61 Planning initiated under the Woewodski Island EIS (1985) identified five possible LTF locations. Three sites were in Duncan Canal on the west side of Woewodski Island and a fourth site was just south of Alexander Bay. The fifth and favored LTF location was at a bight along the Wrangell Narrows just north of Alexander Bay on the east side of the island. Any road system developed on Woewodski would be located and designed using Forest Plan standards and guidelines. These give specifications regarding fish streams, wetlands, beach fringe and steep slopes. As with all proposed projects, environmental review would be required before any transportation system construction.
62 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment spruce vegetation series. Sites that Soil and Wetlands drain poorly often support a mixed- conifer or western redcedar series. Soils Organic Soils Mineral Soils: soils Soils are a fundamental part of the Organic soils, common and widely consisting predominately of, forest. They evolve with vegetation and distributed on Woewodski Island, are and having its properties climate, and form the foundation of the often found on glacial deposits on determined by, mineral forest ecosystem. The soil’s integrity relatively flat valley bottoms. Organic matter (i.e. sand, salt, clay) and stability determine the long-term deposits range from about three inches Organic Soils: soils that productivity of the forest. The region’s to over 40 feet in depth. Forested contain a high percentage cool growing season temperatures and organic soils range from well to very (greater than 15%) of organic abundant rainfall greatly influence soil poorly drained. In Southeast Alaska, matter, such as decayed characteristics. Under these conditions, they typically support a mixed conifer, plant material, throughout the organic matter decomposes slowly and western hemlock-yellow cedar, western soil depth tends to accumulate. Soils are formed in hemlock-redcedar, or shore pine Soil Productivity: inherent either mineral materials (sand, silt, clay) vegetation series. Non-forested organic capacity of a soil to support or organic matter such as decayed plant soils are usually poorly or very poorly the growth of specific plants material. The soils on Woewodski Island drained. These soils support muskeg or or plant communities are a mosaic of organic and mineral alpine meadow communities. soils. Soil Productivity Mineral Soils Soil productivity affects many other forest resources. Tree growth, wildlife, Mineral soils originate from deposits of fish habitat and recreation opportunities weathered bedrock, glacial till, alluvium are all influenced by soil quality. Soil and colluvium. These soils have a drainage and soil depth have a major potential for landslides when they occur influence on soil productivity in on steep slopes. The soil surface Southeast Alaska. In general, poorly typically consists of partially drained or shallow soils are lower in decomposed organic material. Soil productivity than deeper, well-drained depths range from less than 20 inches soils. to more than 20 feet. Drainage ranges from well to very poor. These soils typically support a hemlock or hemlock-
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 63 Wetlands valuable source of biological and Wetlands: areas frequently saturated by water and support Wetlands are those sites that remain vegetative diversity. Muskegs are most commonly found in broad valley vegetation typically adapted for water-saturated long enough for certain life in saturated soil: bogs, wetland plant species, such as skunk bottoms, on rounded hilltops and on rolling lowlands. swamps, marshes or similar cabbage or sphagnum moss, to areas. dominate and for certain soil There are about 887 acres of muskeg characteristics to develop. on Woewodski Island. Fen: a tract of low, wet ground containing sedge peat, Wetlands are valued for their physical, Sedge Fens are characterized by a relatively rich in mineral salts, chemical and biological functions. diverse community of sedges dominated alkaline in reaction and Physical functions include moderating by tall sedges such as Sitka sedge, a characterized by slowly flowing flooding and soil temperature, reducing variety of forbs and occasional stunted water. runoff and sedimentation, providing trees, usually spruce or hemlock. Soils wildlife and plant habitat, and helping to are deep organic muck, often with some sustain stream flow during dry periods. thin layers of alluvial mineral soil Chemical functions may include nutrient material. They occur in landscapes that storage, pH moderation and carbon receive some runoff from adjacent storage. Biological functions include slopes, resulting in a somewhat richer habitat for terrestrial, aquatic and marine nutrient status than bogs. plants and animals. These wetlands function as areas for Wetland Types on Woewodski Island recharge of groundwater and streams, Muskegs are made up of raised bogs deposition and storage of sediment and on gentle slopes. The bogs are nutrients, and for waterfowl and dominated by sphagnum moss with a terrestrial wildlife (including black bear, wide variety of other plants adapted to mink, river otter and beaver) habitat. very wet, acidic, organic soils. They Many sedge fens contain beaver ponds contain some stunted lodgepole pine that often provide high quality waterfowl and hemlock trees less than 15 feet and salmon rearing habitat. high. There are about 121 acres of sedge fen These wetlands function as areas for on Woewodski Island. recharge of groundwater and streams, Forested Wetlands include a number and for deposition and storage of of forested plant communities with sediment and nutrients. They are a hemlock, cedar, or mixed conifer
64 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment overstories, and ground cover consisting Forested wetland/upland mosaics largely of skunk cabbage. Forested comprise only about 59 acres on wetlands are on poorly or very poorly Woewodski Island. drained hydric mineral or organic soils. They are most common on broad glacial valley bottoms and on gently sloping hill slopes or benches. These wetlands function as recharge areas for groundwater and streams, and for deposition of sediment and nutrients. They also produce commercial forest products. There are about 3,730 acres of forested wetlands on Woewodski Island. Muskeg/Forested Wetlands are comprised of small patches of muskegs and forested wetlands arranged in a mosaic pattern on the landscape. These areas have vegetative properties of each of the respective components but function somewhat differently in respect to habitats due to their small size and spatial arrangement. There are about 1,363 acres of muskeg/forested wetlands on Woewodski Island. Forested Wetland/Upland Mosaics are forested non-wetland ecosystems inlaid with small patches of forested wetland. The forested wetland portion is typically on concave positions in these gently sloping or rolling landscapes.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 65 low gradient flood plain and estuarine Aquatic Resources (tidal river) channels (see Table 4). Table 3. Total acreage for lakes Individual fluvial process groups are and wetlands on Woewodski Island. defined in the Glossary. Drainage Patterns Landscape Area Woewodski has an elevation ranging Each fluvial process group is further feature (acres) between sea level and 1,100 feet. Due broken down into individual channel Lakes 203 to the small size of the island and the type classifications. The classifications Wetlands 6,161 low relief, watersheds are small and are defined by physical characteristics topographic divides between of a stream, such as slope, width, pattern, bank incision and containment, Table 4. Lengths of stream s watersheds are poorly defined. and lakes by fluvial process Hydrologic storage is limited by a and the surrounding plant life. group on Woewodski Island. transient snow pack and thin soils; Fluvial Process Group Miles however, approximately 203 acres of Stream Channel Condition Flood Plain 0.93 lakes and an abundance of wetlands In general, stream channels on Moderate gradient, mixed 2.88 add to the storage capacity of the small Woewodski Island are in nearly natural control watersheds (Table 3). Stream discharge conditions. Some streams have been Moderate gradient, 0.42 is predominantly controlled by rainfall modified by timber harvest associated contained events, with peak discharges occurring with past mining activities. Below-natural High gradient, contained 13.74 during fall and winter storms. wood loading in parts of Harvey Creek Estuarine 0.2 Palustrine 3.77 The Tongass defines stream channels may have resulted from clearing of trails Alluvial fan 0.17 according to the Channel Type User and construction of mining structures in the first part of the twentieth century. Glacial Outwash 0 Guide (Forest Service, 1992). Channel Large Contained 0 types are divided into fluvial process Historic mining has not included any known placer mining, which would Lake 2.66 groups, which classify streams by Total 24.77 have disturbed stream channels. watershed runoff, landform relief, geology, and glacial or tidal influences Beavers on Woewodski Island actively on erosion and deposits of debris. modify stream channels by maintaining Alluvium: clay, silt, sand, gravel Fluvial process groups include high- dams and ponds that provide habitat for or similar loose material deposited by running water. gradient (steep) channels controlled by fish, including over-wintering coho bedrock with thin, patchy alluvium; low- salmon. Placer Mining: the obtaining of gradient palustrine (marshy) channels, minerals from placers (alluvial, often influenced by beaver activity; and marine or glacial deposits) by proportionally few moderate gradient or washing or dredging.
66 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Groundwater and Surface Water Island, which may affect mineral Interactions concentrations within groundwater and surface water (Beardslee, 2003). Aquifer: a water-bearing bed Streams, lakes, ponds and wetlands or stratum of permeable exchange water with underground Potential sources of human-generated rock, sand or gravel capable aquifers. The drainage patterns that pollutants are few and associated with of yielding considerable define natural groundwater and surface public and private cabins, and historic quantities of water to wells or water interactions are controlled by a and current mining activities. Potential springs. host of physical factors, including pollutants include human waste, fuel surface topography, underlying geologic and fine sediments. To date, there have stratigraphy and aquifer characteristics. been no known cases of water
Hydraulic gradients control the direction contamination or degradation on of flow between surface water bodies Woewodski Island and none of the streams are listed as impaired. and underground aquifers. Drawdown of the water table from activities such as There is a need to gather data on the well pumping or excavations may alter quality of surface water and recharge rates for streams and lakes. It groundwater on Woewodski Island for is not known how historic excavation of current water quality and future planning mine shafts on Woewodski may have purposes. Important water quality altered surface water and groundwater parameters to measure include pH, interactions. dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, temperature and Water Quality dissolved metal concentrations. A water Water quality refers to the concentration quality assessment for Woewodski of dissolved solids and gases, Island would involve developing a suspended solids, hydrogen ions, sampling scheme, sample collection, pathogenic organisms and heat in a laboratory testing and reporting. given quantity of water. Little is known about the concentrations of these Protected Water Use Classes constituents in the surface water and The Alaska Water Quality Standards (18 groundwater of Woewodski Island. AAC 70) identify water use classes and Mineral measurements indicate the criteria to protect them (18AAC 70.020). natural occurrence of significant Where waters are classified for more mineralization on parts of Woewodski than one use class, the most stringent
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 67 criteria for all included use classes at the recreation cabins located at applies (18AAC 70.040(1)). The Alaska Harvey Lake and Beecher Pass. The Water Right: a legal right State Water Quality Standards also water rights are for drinking water use granted by the state to use include an Antidegradation Policy from Harvey Lake and an unnamed surface or ground water for a (18AAC 70.015) that states, “(1) existing stream located in the SE ¼ of the SW ¼ specific use. water uses and the level of water quality section of 15, Township 61, Range 79 necessary to protect existing uses must East, Copper River Meridian. Cabin be maintained and protected.” users are expected to treat water by Protected water use classes for fresh filtering before drinking. water on Woewodski Island include drinking water supply, water recreation, and growth and propagation of wildlife and other aquatic life.
Water Rights In Alaska, water rights are administrated by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mining, Land & Water, Water Resources Section. Water rights are granted both for water diversions and for in-stream uses. Water rights for in- stream uses allocate water necessary for activities such as fish spawning or recreation, and keep later water users from appropriating water that may affect the in-stream activity. Private individuals, organizations and government agencies may apply for water rights, including those for in- stream use. The Forest Service owns two separate water rights for drinking water supplies
68 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Stream Value Classes Fisheries Stream channels on the Tongass are classified according to stream value Woewodski Island is a low relief island classes that indicate levels of habitat Anadromous Fish: fish that with extensive muskegs and small use by fish populations (FSH 2090.21). mature and spend much of watersheds. The island supports a small their adult life in the ocean, sports fishery that has had minimal Class I - Streams and lakes with returning to inland waters to inventories in the past. anadromous or adfluvial fish or fish spawn. habitat; or high quality resident fish The Alaska Department of Fish and waters, or habitat above fish migration Adfluvial Fish: species or Game (ADF&G) is required to specify barriers known to be reasonable populations of fish that do the various rivers, lakes and streams or not go to sea, but live in enhancement opportunities for parts of them that are important for the anadromous fish. lakes and enter streams to spawning, rearing or migration of spawn. anadromous fishes. This information is Class II - Streams and lakes with resident fish or fish habitat and generally Resident Fish: Fish that are recorded in The Catalog of Waters not migratory and complete Important for the Spawning, Rearing, or steep (6-25 percent or higher) gradient their entire life cycle in fresh Migration of Anadromous Fishes. Two (can also include streams with a 0-6 water. streams on Woewodski Island, Lode percent gradient) where no anadromous Creek (ADF&G # 106-44-44) and fish occur, and otherwise not meeting Harvey Creek (ADF&G # 106-43-05), Class I criteria. are cataloged by ADF&G. Class III – Perennial and intermittent Field reconnaissance was conducted in streams that have no fish populations or the summer of 2002 to test Woewodski fish habitat, but have sufficient flow or Island streams for fish using visual and sediment and debris transport to directly electroshock methods (Johnson, 2003). influence downstream water quality or Many additional small streams that fish habitat capability. For streams less contain important fish habitat were than 30% gradient, special attention is discovered. See “Woewodski Island needed to determine if resident fish are Inventory” for details regarding this present. work. Class IV - Other intermittent, ephemeral and small perennial channels with insufficient flow or sediment transport capabilities to have immediate influence
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 69 on downstream water quality or fish are not included in this summary (see habitat capability. Class IV streams do Map 8). not have the characteristics of Class I, II Many of the small lakes and ponds on or III streams, and have a bankfull width the Woewodski Island are formed by of at least 0.3 meters (one foot). beaver activity. These systems provide Non-streams - Rills and other important fish habitat. watercourses, generally intermittent and Most of the freshwater fishing less than one foot in bankfull width, little opportunity on the island is centered on or no incision into the surrounding Harvey Lake due to the easy access by hillslope, and with little or no evidence of the Harvey Lake Trail. The Harvey Lake scour. System is on the northwest portion of Nearly 25 miles of stream have been the island, approximately one mile south classified on Woewodski Island (see of Beecher Pass. This system is the Table 5). The island also has most important and productive fishery approximately 203 acres of freshwater on the island. It consists of the outlet lakes and ponds. stream Harvey Creek, Harvey Lake and three inlet streams with the Table 5. Stream Classes includimg lakes on associated Wolf, Cloudberry and Woewodski Island. Harry’s Lakes. Fish Miles of stream by Class1 Harvey Creek has pink and coho populations I II III IV salmon. Pink salmon use the Anadromous 8.77 7.37 6.35 2.28 lower end of the creek and are and resident not known to make it up to the 1Miles of stream reflects the best information available lake. from aerial photos and field reconnaissance. Harvey Lake is approximately Woewodski Island Inventory 100-acres and provides quality habitat for coho salmon, cutthroat trout The following is a summary of the fish and Dolly Varden char. bearing streams and lakes on Woewodski Island. There are several Wolf Lake is a 7-acre lake that supports small non-fish bearing streams on the coho salmon. The inlet stream provides east and south side of the island that
70 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 71 (Purposefully Blank Page)
72 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment quality spawning habitat and the lake Lake and Harvey Lake. Coho salmon provides good winter rearing habitat. are found downstream of the barrier to Cloudberry Pond is approximately one- Harvey Lake. acre and supports Dolly Varden char The Beecher Pass Cabin Lake System and cutthroat trout. A cascade barrier is is on the northwest tip of the island. The present in the stream between system includes three lakes (an Cloudberry Pond and Harvey Lake. unnamed lake, Lost Lake and Amber Coho salmon are found downstream of Lake) with connecting streams. All three the barrier. lakes were formed by beaver activity. Harry’s Lake is 12 acres and contains This system provides a small amount of cutthroat trout. A cascade barrier is coho salmon spawning habitat and present in the stream connecting Harry’s excellent winter rearing habitat. There is
Lost Lake was formed by beaver activity and is a part of the Beecher Pass Cabin Lake System.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 73 a barrier to anadromous fish between limited side channel rearing habitat. The the first lake from Beecher Pass and western tributary is too steep for Lost Lake. Both Lost Lake and Amber anadromous fish but it provides Lake contain cutthroat trout. excellent resident fish habitat for Approximately one-quarter mile from the cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden char. Beecher Pass Cabin is an unnamed An unnamed stream runs into the first Class I creek containing coho salmon. cove south of Alexander Bay. The lower The upper reaches of this creek contain section of the stream is Class I. One cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden char. thousand feet up this stream, a series of In the northeast section of the island, cascades create a barrier to fish habitat. across Beecher Pass from Big Saltery Cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden char Island, are three unnamed streams that are found above the barrier. There are contain important winter habitat for coho numerous miners’ trails located in the salmon. upper portion of the stream, which may be sources of sediment. This could be a Lode Creek is located on the northeast concern for the quality of fish habitat. shore of the island, about 1.5 miles north of Pt. Lockwood on Mitkof Island. A stream located in the southwest The creek flows southeasterly out of a corner of the island, locally called seven-acre beaver pond. This system is Brushy Creek, flows from a muskeg. relatively small but provides excellent This stream supports a small run of habitat for coho salmon. A tributary of coho salmon, Dolly Varden char and Lode Creek contains Dolly Varden char cutthroat trout. This creek is lined with and cutthroat trout. miners’ trails and is the site of some mining activity. The deeply incised Alexander Creek is located in the downstream left bank is extremely northwest corner of Alexander Bay, susceptibly to erosion. approximately 0.75 miles from Deception Point. There are two main The lower fifty feet of Krause’s Creek is tributaries; one flows from the north and Class I and contains coho salmon. one flows from the west. The northern Above this section, the stream becomes tributary has historic timber harvest and Class IV. lacks large wood in the channel. It has excellent coho spawning habitat with
74 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Marine Habitat Woewodski is surrounded by very productive marine waters. To the north is the Crystal Lake King Salmon Hatchery. To the west is Duncan Canal/Kah Sheets area. It provides important habitat for shrimp, crab, waterfowl and sockeye salmon. This area along with Beecher Pass provides important commercial, sport and subsistence fishing and recreational use. The Wrangell Narrows is used for commercial and sport trolling of king salmon. Also, there is use of the entire area for Dungeness crab fishing.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 75 Wildlife and Biodiversity watershed divide. Each VCU includes an old-growth reserve. VCU 448 is Southeast Alaska’s wildlife species are unique since it includes portions of well represented on this relatively small Kupreanof, Mitkof and Woewodski 10,362-acre island. The island’s lakes, Islands. Woewodski Island makes up 40 along with numerous ponds, inlets and a percent of this VCU. The small old- large amount of beach fringe contribute growth reserve for VCU 448 is located to its habitat diversity. Waterfowl on Mitkof Island (see Map 9). especially benefit from the abundance of wetlands and ponds dispersed Current and Past Habitat throughout the island. Conditions on Woewodski Woewodski Island acts as an important Island stepping stone for the dispersal of Information on wildlife resources was wildlife species from the mainland to the collected in the summer and fall of 2002 outer coastal islands such as Kuiu by the Petersburg Ranger District IRI Island. Moose are an example of a crew and district wildlife biologists. This species that have recently become information was used to supplement established in this manner. In the fall of past information and improve past 2003, a bull moose was observed wildlife resource descriptions on swimming from the western shore of Woewodski Island. Woewodski Island to the western shore The specific objectives of these field of Duncan Canal on Kupreanof Island. investigations were to measure forest Some species located on Mitkof Island stand characteristics, identify the are just beginning to colonize presence and nesting activity of the Woewodski and Kupreanof Islands, and northern goshawk and other raptors, may include the northern flying squirrel survey for the presence of spotted frogs and wolverine (SEIS, 2003 and Doerr, and record incidental observations 1994). related to wildlife that may inhabit the Woewodski Island makes up 40 percent island. of Value Comparison Unit (VCU) 448. Field measurements of forest stand VCUs are Forest Service physical characteristics become important since delineations generally designed to this data is used to verify information encompass an easily recognizable
76 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 77 (Purposefully Blank Page)
78 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment determined by past aerial photo resulting in additional woody debris and interpretation. This information is used the creation of standing snags. Woody to adjust estimates of forest volume debris on the forest floor provides strata for more accurate modeling of unique habitat for a variety of small suitable wildlife habitats, as determined endemic mammals. Snags provide by the habitat capability models. habitat for a variety of cavity nesting Forested Areas birds. Overall, human activity has modified In some rare cases, wind events cause less than one percent of the total acres complete overstory destruction. This on Woewodski Island. The old-growth may be the case in the area located on habitat areas that have been modified the southern tip of Woewodski and by human activity include non-national Butterworth Islands. This area is unique forest land located in the northwestern because localized strong wind events, part of the island and the two units of probably coming from the Stikine River, timber harvest (totaling 48 acres) in cause larger areas of trees to blow Alexander Bay. down. These strong storms occur frequently enough that these areas may Woewodski Island is vulnerable to a not ever obtain old-growth high level of wind disturbance, evident in characteristics. the amount of windthrow across the island. Specific areas of wind Wetlands Areas disturbance include the upper slopes Muskeg on Woewodski Island is directly north of Harvey Lake and the comprised of stunted mountain hemlock beach fringe areas on the southern end and lodgepole pine with low-growing of the island. shrubs, such as Labrador-tea or forbs, Wind events cause breakage and sedges and grass species. It also uprooting, exposing mineral soils. contains many small ponds, which Churned soils allow for different provide habitat for beaver and vegetation types to grow, thus changing amphibians and feeding areas for great the habitat composition and affecting the blue herons and migrating waterfowl. wildlife species in the given area. A fen is a type of wetland that has a A common outcome of windthrow diverse community dominated by tall events is partial loss of overstory trees sedges with a variety of forbs and
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 79 stunted trees. Fens are unique because Characterizing Old-Growth they receive runoff from adjacent slopes Habitat Lacustrine: of, related to, that result in a richer nutrient status than formed in, living in, or Old-growth can be divided into two typical wetland areas. Many fens growing in lakes. classes: productive old-growth and contain beaver ponds that provide high unproductive old-growth. The distinction quality habitat for waterfowl and young is based on the ability of an area to grow salmon. trees of a certain size deemed Lakes and ponds with adjacent marshes “commercial forest.” The Forest Plan make up the majority of the lacustrine defines productive old-growth as an habitat on Woewodski Island. These area capable of producing at least 20 areas provide feeding, nesting and cubic feet of fiber per acre per year, or rearing habitat for waterfowl, loons, having greater than 8,000 board feet per grebes, great blue herons, shorebirds acre. and raptors. The Tongass National Forest contains Old-Growth Habitat on approximately 5 million acres of productive forest (30 percent of the Woewodski Island Forest) and 3.6 million acres of Old-growth forest in Southeast Alaska is unproductive forest (FEIS 3-18). structurally complex and provides Woewodski Island contains unique habitat for many species of approximately 5,711 acres of productive plants and animals. These forests have old-growth habitat, representing about broken, multi-layered canopies through 55 percent of the island and contributing which sunlight penetrates to the forest 58 percent of the productive old-growth floor. Wind, water and disease act as in VCU 448. the driving forces behind forest The trees growing in old-growth forests dynamics. Landscapes exposed to exhibit wide ranges of diameters, prevailing winds create a range from heights and stand structure single-aged stands to structurally characteristics. Productive forest is diverse multi-aged stands. divided into three classes: high, medium and low volume strata (see Table 6).
80 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 81 (Purposefully Blank Page)
82 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment High Volume Strata Old-growth Woewodski Island contains 1,402 acres Forest of high volume strata. The island Western hemlock and/or Sitka Spruce contributes 35 percent of the total high dominate most of high volume strata volume strata to VCU 448. forest. Stands are typically uneven-aged with small gaps in the overhead canopy. Medium Volume Strata Old-growth Understory production is moderate; Forest however, snow interception is high, Western hemlock and/or Sitka spruce making forage for deer more readily dominate medium volume strata stands, available during winter. Blueberry and but cedar can be a significant huckleberry are the dominant shrubs. component. The stands are uneven- Herb cover is 20-30 percent, and fern aged, with numerous gaps in the cover is 15-30 percent. overhead canopy. The more open These habitat areas are important to canopy results in a thicker understory old-growth associated wildlife species and less snow interception. Huckleberry for many reasons. High volume old- is more abundant on these sites while growth forests provide good thermal ferns are less common. Winter thermal cover for wildlife in the winter. Also, the cover for wildlife is moderate. stands usually contain a lot of diseased Woewodski Island contains 2,393 acres trees that become important nesting of medium volume strata. Most of these habitat for birds such as the brown stands reside in the southern region of creeper, goshawk and marbled murrelet.
Table 6. Volume Strata on Woewodski Island. Woewodski Island Percent of Volume Acres on 10,362 Acres Percent of Volume Acres in Strata Woewodski Woewodski Strata VCU 448 contributes to VCU Island VCU #448 448 25,272 Acres High Volume 1402 26 4056 35 Medium Volume 2393 42 3580 67 Low Volume 1916 32 2160 89 Total 5,711 100 9,796
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 83 the island. Woewodski contributes 67 four largest and most important interior percent of the total medium volume old-growth habitat areas on Woewodski Habitat Capability: the long- strata to VCU 448. Island are listed in Table 7 and shown term potential of an area to be able to support animals. Low Volume Strata Old-growth Forest on Map 10. Western hemlock and cedar dominate These four habitat areas make up only low volume strata stands. The 15 percent of Woewodski Island’s land production of forbs and ferns tends to be area but contribute 25 percent of deer low due to the tall brushy thickets of winter habitat and 27 percent of the blueberry and rusty menziesia found in marten habitat capability (see Table these stands. Lichens are relatively 7). abundant. Thermal cover for wildlife is poor. Table 7. Important Interior Old-growth Habitat Areas on Woewodski Island. There are 1,916 acres of Size Habitat Capability Location Attributes low volume strata on (acres) Deer Marten Woewodski Island. The 1104 Northern half of High degree of windthrow in 113 4 island contributes 89 the Island, the southern half of this area. percent of this strata type connects with Contains the largest amount of to VCU 448. Alexander Cove high volume strata on the area. island. Wolf den is located in Interior Old–growth this patch. Historical goshawk Habitat Areas nest is also located here. 233 Southwest This area is below 500 feet in 23 1 Another method used to portion of the elevation. define old-growth habitat is island, south of by interior old-growth, or Harry’s Lake, old-growth core areas. within ½ mile of Interior old-growth coast. excludes the portions of 139 Eastern part of This area is nearly connected 11 0 the island, to the 1104-acre area. the perimeter of old-growth northwest of Goshawk and Merlin sightings patches that may show Alexander Bay. in this area. edge effects, such as 110 Southern tip of High degree of windthrow. This 7 1 windthrow, or are adjacent the island, ¼ mile area is below 500 feet in to non-forested habitat from coast. elevation. such as muskegs. The Total 1586 154 6
84 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Old-growth Associated Wildlife (HCM) to deer and marten (see Maps Species 11 and 12). These two species are Some of the old-growth wildlife species commonly used to give comparisons of on Woewodski Island include deer, the relative quality of old-growth habitat marten, goshawk, marbled murrelet, as it relates to potential wildlife use. It is brown creeper, hairy woodpecker, red assumed that the old-growth habitat squirrel and blue grouse. Sitka black- requirements suggested as important for tailed deer may only require the use of deer and marten are also important for old-growth habitat at very critical times other old-growth associated species. during harsh winters for protection from Model results for Woewodski Island and the elements and predators (mainly VCU 448 were compared to determine wolves). Birds, like the hairy the island’s relative quality and quantity woodpecker, may use these areas for of habitat. It was found that Woewodski nesting habitat, primarily due to the Island comprises 48 percent of the availability of snags and soft wood to winter habitat capability for deer and 52 form a nest cavity. percent of the habitat capability for Old-growth areas are assessed by marten in VCU 448 (see Table 8). applying Habitat Capability Modeling
Table 8. Habitat Capability Comparison between VCU 448 and Woewodski Island.
VCU 448 Woewodski Island Total Land Acres 25,905 10,362 Marten Habitat Capability 42 22 (number of animals the area could potentially support) Deer Habitat Capability 1301 626 (number of animals the area could potentially support)
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 85 (Purposefully Blank Page)
86 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 87 (Purposefully Blank Page)
88 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 89 (Purposefully Blank Page)
90 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Mammals on Woewodski Island low elevation, old-growth forest. Trees Marine Mammals that have well developed branches deflect snow away from the base of the Nearly one third of the mammalian tree. These limbs can hold a species found in Southeast Alaska are tremendous amount of snow before marine mammals. Marine mammals breaking. This means relatively less known to inhabit the waters adjacent to snow present on the ground, providing Woewodski Island are the humpback more accessible forage and greater whale, Pacific white-sided dolphin, killer mobility for deer in the winter. Other whale, harbor porpoise, Dall’s porpoise, factors that may determine the amount Stellar sea lion and harbor seal. The of snow accumulation is the slope humpback whale, an endangered aspect, elevation and micro-climate of species, does not typically enter shallow the specific area. waters surrounding this island, but harbor seals and porpoises are Historically, Woewodski Island produced commonly observed. high deer populations and was a popular hunting destination (Sandburg, Deer 1984); however, in the late 1960s and Sitka black-tailed deer are the most early 1970s the deer population on important wildlife species taken as a Kupreanof, Mitkof and surrounding subsistence resource in Southeast islands decreased sharply due to heavy Alaska. Deer are indigenous to the snow accumulation during successive coastal regions of Southeast Alaska and winters. In 1980, the Alaska Department northwestern British Columbia. Sitka of Fish & Game started receiving reports black-tailed deer use a variety of habitat of deer sightings on Woewodski Island types but can be restricted during the and in the winter of 1980-81, it was winter months to areas where snow verified that deer were once again pack is relatively low. Deer can expend present on the island. Currently the deer an unusual amount of energy moving population on Woewodski Island is and foraging through deep snow. Deep affected by wolf predation. This could snow also greatly increases their explain why deer sightings are not as susceptibility to predation by wolves. common as expected with such a high In areas where snow accumulates, level of winter habitat capability. winter habitat for deer corresponds to
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 91 Moose Island will support many moose Subsistence Use: the During the early twentieth century, (Franzel, 1985). customary and traditional moose migrated down the major river Elk uses by rural Alaska residents of wild renewable systems from Canada into Southeast Three attempts were made in 1937, Alaska. One of these major systems resources for direct, personal 1963 and 1964 to introduce elk into or family consumption as included the Stikine River. The moose Southeast Alaska. Each attempt failed. food, shelter, fuel, clothing, population for Southeast Alaska is In 1987, fifty elk from Oregon were tools, or transportation; for estimated to be approximately 2,530 released on Etolin Island, located the making and selling of animals, with 75 percent of them approximately 20 miles southeast of handicraft articles out of non- residing in the Tongass National Forest Woewodski Island. By 1993, elk had edible byproducts of fish and (FEIS 1997, p 358). increased in numbers and had spread to wildlife resources taken for Moose are present on Woewodski Zarembo Island, located seven miles personal or family Island in very low numbers. Only two from Woewodski Island. consumption; for barter or sharing for personal or family moose have been harvested from the There have been unconfirmed sightings consumption and for island since 1990 (see Table 9). of elk as far south as the Cleveland customary trade. Beginning in 2003, hunters are able to Peninsula, as far north as Kake and on take an additional legal bull moose Woewodski Island and neighboring during the open hunting season for Mitkof Island. Elk are strong swimmers subsistence use. It is not known at this and with the proximity of Zarembo time what impact this new regulation will Island, it is only a matter of time until elk have on the small population of moose are confirmed residents of Mitkof and on Woewodski Island. Woewodski islands. Habitat Past timber harvest on the island, relationships between elk and other although minimal, may have had a native wildlife species in Southeast positive effect on moose due to the Alaska are currently unknown. increase of forage production Black Bear associated with the first years after Black bear are present throughout the harvest. However, this area is now 70 mainland and on the islands south of years old and the understory plants Frederick Sound. Few black bear reside have been lost due to trees growing up on Woewodski Island. Low population over them. In the absence of high numbers could be attributed to the lack protein forage such as cottonwood and of large runs of anadromous fish. Bear willow, it is unlikely that Woewodski
92 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment hunting is of low intensity on the island. the current interagency winter habitat Hunters who use the Beecher Pass capability model (see Table 8). This cabin located on Woewodski Island figure only represents the potential normally travel to hunt more productive habitat capability to support deer, not black bear areas in Duncan Canal. The the actual number of deer present on Alaska Department of Fish and Game the island. reports one black bear taken from Person et al. (1996) addressed the Woewodski Island since 1990. complex issue of sustaining wolf Wolves populations while meeting human The wolf in Southeast Alaska is known subsistence and sport deer harvest as the Alexander Archipelago wolf. It demands in Southeast Alaska. A inhabits the mainland and the islands recommendation was made that 17 south of Frederick Sound. A number of deer/square mile, using the current deer wolves live on Woewodski Island and habitat capability model, would meet sightings are common. these needs over broad areas. The appropriate scale was determined to be Fifty-four wolves have been trapped on a combination of Wildlife Analysis Areas Woewodski Island since 1990, (WAAs) or the biogeographic province. according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game trapping reports (2003). Ten Woewodski Island makes up WAA of these wolves were taken in 1996 (see 2008. The current deer habitat capability Table 9). One wolf den site has been of Woewodski Island is 39 deer/square located on Woewodski Island. mile. This figure is over double the recommendation suggested by Person Wolves use a variety of habitats and can et al. (1996) and shows Woewodski affect prey populations. Wolves’ prey Island has the habitat capability of base includes deer, moose, beaver and sustaining wolf populations. salmon. On Mitkof and Kupreanof Islands, wolves depend heavily on deer Marten and it is presumed that this is also the Ongoing marten research in Southeast case on Woewodski Island. Wolf and Alaska is being conducted by the Alaska deer rely on similar habitats. Department of Fish and Game by The winter habitat capability of deer on Rodney W. Flynn and Thomas V. Woewodski Island is 626 animals, using Schumacher (2003). The Forest Service
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 93 and the University of Wyoming are mammal prey abundance, a decline in Biogeographic Province: cooperators in this study. marten population numbers was shown. used to establish basic The marten is identified as a This cause and effect relationship is ecosystem divisions according management indicator species (MIS) on difficult to determine because other to similar species composition, the Tongass National Forest. Twenty-six relationships, such as trapping pressure historical events (such as glaciation), climatic conditions marten have been trapped on over time, migration and emigration patterns, and the dependence on other and physiographic Woewodski Island since 1990. characteristics. Woewodski Island is part (1%) of the prey items, also play a role in population Kupreanof/Mitkof Islands trends. Biogeographic Province. This Marten that have salmon streams as province has been identified as having a part of their home ranges may be able higher risk of maintaining features of to switch to salmon during years of low forest stand structure important to small-mammal abundance. Preliminary marten habitat on the Forest. Specific indications show marten that are able to Marten Standards and Guidelines from switch their feeding habits in the same the Forest Plan would apply to timber year had better body condition when harvest units containing high value compared to marten that do not or were marten habitat. High value marten unable to make the switch to other prey habitat is defined as high volume forests items. below 1,500 feet in elevation. Areas differ in the number and species Marten are closely associated with old- of small mammals that marten utilize as growth habitat. They were one of the prey species. A large diversity of small major species used to establish the mammals with stable population overall design of the old-growth habitat numbers in a specific area may reflect a conservation strategy used on the similar trend in marten populations due Forest. The most current habitat to predator/prey relationships. However, capability model was used to identify the population size and number of larger important habitat areas (see Table 8 animals such as deer and moose should Marten are closely associated and Map 11). not be discounted. The remains of these with old-growth habitat and have The availability of prey, mostly small larger animals may also prove to be an been identified as a management mammals such as voles and mice, may abundant food resource for marten in indicator species. determine the number of marten in a years when there are low numbers of specific area. During years of low small- preferred prey species.
94 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Surveys of endemic small mammal the majority of the squirrel’s diet. populations on Woewodski Island would Squirrels also eat mushrooms, seeds, Midden Sites: places where squirrels store collected food. provide information on the diet of the fleshy fruits, insects and eggs. island’s marten. This information in turn The suitability of red squirrel habitat is a could be used to see if marten on function of midden sites, food Woewodski Island switch to salmon in abundance and nest availability. Old- times of low small mammal abundance. growth habitat usually provides an Red Squirrel ample amount of cones, downed logs Mixed old-growth Sitka-spruce and for middens and snags for nest sites. hemlock stands provide what is Although they prefer tree cavities as considered to be the best habitat for red nest sites, they will use underground squirrels in Southeast Alaska. These and external tree nests if cavities are stands provide cones, which account for unavailable. Red squirrels are very territorial and defend their nest areas
Table 9. Selected wildlife species harvested on Woewodski Island from 1990 to 2003. Black Bear Moose Wolf Beaver Otter Marten 1990 00 1000 1991 10 7320 1992 00 2043 1993 00 0060 1994 00 6053 1995 00 0042 1996 00 10056 1997 01 2052 1998 00 1004 1999 01 8041 2000 00 8045 2001 00 5000 2002 00 4060 2003 00 0010 Total 12 5434626
Source: Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 95 and middens, ranging in size from ½ to relationships of rare or endemic 8 acres. terrestrial mammals. Some endemic Recent studies have been conducted by mammals in Southeast Alaska may Bakker (2000) near Petersburg on the represent unique isolated populations. movement patterns and corridor use by Surveys specifically for endemic red squirrels in fragmented habitats. mammals have not been conducted on Preliminary results of this study indicate Woewodski Island. It is not known if any that there are trade-offs made between rare endemic terrestrial mammals a lower predation risk of moving through inhabit the island. old-growth and an increased predation risk by spending time moving through Birds unfamiliar open territory. Squirrels seem Most bird species common to Southeast to choose movement pathways that Alaska can be found on Woewodski permit rapid travel, favoring routes with Island. The lakes and many ponds serve low slope, few obstacles and the use of as important resting and feeding areas downed logs to travel on. Squirrels also for migrating birds and waterfowl. The tend to stay close to trees, which they island is located in the center of a major use as immediate refuges from wintering and molting area for waterfowl predators. and seabirds. A species list with all of Bakker’s (2000) initial insights help to the types of birds observed on provide an understanding of the way in Woewodski Island is listed in Appendix which small mammals such as the red B, Table B-1. squirrel may use interconnected old- Bald Eagle growth areas in fragmented habitats. The Forest Plan protects nearly all of Ten red squirrels were observed during the bald eagle beach fringe and riparian 2002 field survey activities on nesting habitat areas. Protection Woewodski Island. measures also include the formation of Endemic Mammals a management zone around each bald eagle nest tree. The size of this zone is An objective of the Forest Plan a 330-foot radius centered over each standards and guidelines is to maintain nest tree. Management activities are viable populations of endemic terrestrial restricted within these zones. These mammals and to understand the habitat areas are maintained even if the nest
96 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment becomes inactive. According to the availability of food. Fluctuations in prey latest Petersburg Ranger District Bald populations, such as blue grouse and Eagle Nest Tree Atlas, there are red squirrels, can cause food limitations currently thirteen bald eagle nest trees in certain years or seasons. The link located on Woewodski Island. among major prey species and the Osprey habitat they require is recognized by the Forest Service as a key element for Ospreys are rare migrants and breeders goshawk conservation in Southeast in Southeast Alaska and are considered Alaska (Iverson et. al. 1996). The a sensitive species on the Tongass availability of nesting and roosting sites, National Forest. The nests are usually in and the interactions of predation and a large tree in the immediate vicinity of competition also influence goshawk water. No known nests occur on populations (Lewis, 2001). Woewodski Island; however, unconfirmed sightings in the vicinity of A total of 28 hours were spent surveying Harvey Lake have been reported. Woewodski Island for raptors in the spring and summer of 2002. Adult Queen Charlotte Goshawk goshawks were observed at a nest site The Queen Charlotte Goshawk is a near Alexander Cove in May of 2002. widely distributed migrant and breeder This nest was later determined to be in Southeast Alaska, and is considered abandoned, as it was found inactive in a sensitive species on the Forest. June and July of that year (Weaver, Goshawks prefer productive old-growth 2002). This nest site remained inactive habitat for nesting and roosting sites, in 2003. In July 2004, a new active nest and for the protective cover that this was located in the vicinity of the 2002 habitat provides against some nest site. Goshawks were also sighted predators, such as the red-tailed hawk, at the southern and northern tips of the great horned owl and the bald eagle. island but no nest structures were Goshawks are exceptionally well found. adapted for hunting underneath the Other raptor sightings on Woewodski dense tree canopies of old-growth Island include the Northern Harrier, forests. Sharp-shinned Hawk and Merlin. See Several factors limit goshawk Map 13 for the general location of these populations. One important factor is the raptor sightings on Woewodski Island.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 97 Marbled Murrelet ground and move into old-growth forest The marbled murrelet is a member of breeding habitat. the alcid family, which is a group of Studies conducted by Doerr et al. (1984) seabirds that comes to shore only to show that male blue grouse display a breed. Murrelets concentrate offshore strong preference for western hemlock from old-growth habitat areas during the and western hemlock–Sitka spruce old- breeding season. They then fly back to growth habitat over early successional nesting habitat located inland, where forest in the breeding season. This type they are detected almost exclusively in of habitat is considered to be optimum forests that have old-growth habitat for blue grouse in Southeast characteristics. Alaska and can be found on Woewodski Concentrations of marbled murrelets Island. have been observed feeding directly Brown Creeper north of Woewodski Island in the The preferred habitat of the brown Beecher Pass area and directly off the creeper is composed of mature forests southern end of the island in Sumner consisting of western hemlock-Sitka Straight. There have been no marbled spruce stands. Nests are located murrelet-specific nest site surveys between the bark and trunk of dead or conducted on the island and no nests dying trees, while foraging occurs have been discovered incidentally. primarily on large live trees. Optimal Excellent marbled murrelet nesting habitat is believed to occur when habitat, especially in the largest old- patches of preferred habitat are greater growth areas located in the northern than 15 acres in size. There are 15 such part of the island, may be present. patches located on Woewodski Island, Blue Grouse totaling 2,097 acres. Blue grouse occur throughout Southeast Hairy Woodpecker Alaska and have been observed on The hairy woodpecker is an uncommon, Woewodski Island. They spend most of permanent resident in Southeast the winter feeding on the needles of Alaska. It is primarily a cavity excavator, conifer trees. When the snow melts in using mature old-growth habitat with a the spring, they begin to forage on the high snag component. Habitat areas that are influenced by saltwater are
98 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment important ecological zones for the hairy Reptiles and Amphibians woodpecker. Optimal habitat is believed Six species of amphibians and two to occur when patches of preferred reptilian species are known to occur in habitat are greater than 500 acres in Southeast Alaska. Observations of size. Woewodski Island has this optimal amphibians during field activities were habitat. infrequent. A live adult boreal toad was Hairy woodpeckers are difficult to seen in September of 2003. No reptilian monitor because of their low densities, species were seen, and none are cryptic behavior, seasonal movements specifically known to occur in this area. and large year-to-year fluctuations in The population status of amphibian and populations. Hairy woodpeckers have reptilian species located on Woewodski been observed on Woewodski Island. Island is not known.
A winter wren’s nest found in a root wad on Woewodski Island.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 99 (Purposefully Blank Page)
100 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 101 (Purposefully Blank Page)
102 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Subsistence lands in Alaska, to analyze the potential effects of proposed land use activities Congress recognized the importance of on subsistence uses and needs. This subsistence resource gathering to the analysis may include a public hearing in rural communities of Alaska with the which citizens are invited to provide passage of the Alaska National Interest testimony of subsistence use and Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) in concerns in a given area. 1980. ANILCA defines subsistence as, “The customary and traditional uses by Importance of Deer as a rural Alaska residents of wild, renewable Subsistence Resource resources for direct personal or family consumption as food, shelter, fuel, Many different types of resources, clothing, tools or transportation; for the including salmon, halibut and deer, are making and selling of handicraft articles used for subsistence. Crab, shrimp, out of non-edible byproducts of fish and berries and wood are also important wildlife resources taken for personal or subsistence resources. family consumption; and for customary The Alaska Department of Fish and trade.” Game conducted an extensive survey in ANILCA provides for the continuation of 1987, the Tongass Resource Use the opportunity for subsistence uses by Cooperative Survey (TRUCS), which rural residents of Alaska on federal recorded resource use in Southeast lands. It also legislates that customary Alaska. Sixty-one percent of households and traditional uses of renewable harvested at least four different types of resources shall be the priority fish, wildlife and/or plant resources in consumptive uses of all such resources 1987. Ten different types of subsistence on the public lands of Alaska. resources were harvested in 20 percent Juneau and Ketchikan are the only of households. Eighty-five percent of all communities in Southeast Alaska that households in rural Southeast Alaska are considered to be non-rural. harvest at least some subsistence resources (Kruse and Muth 1990). Section 810 of ANILCA requires the USDA Forest Service, having Numerous studies have recognized and jurisdiction over some of the public documented the importance of deer as a subsistence resource to Southeast
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 103 Alaska residents. Deer constitute 21 Harvey Lake (USDA Forest Service, percent of the total pounds of 1988). subsistence resources harvested by Offshore sport fishing accounts for rural Southeast Alaskans in 1987. That approximately 300 visitor days each year, an estimated 11,500 deer were year. This includes shrimp, halibut, crab harvested by 3,000 households, which and salmon. An estimated 100-300 represents 928,000 pounds of deer that cohos are harvested annually along the was consumed, shared or traded (Kruse shoreline from Harvey Lake to the and Muth 1990). northwest tip of the island and at the Deer harvest levels vary substantially by mouth of the Wrangell Narrows. community. Petersburg averaged 150 pounds of deer per household. This Trapping and Hunting figure represents a low household Historically, Woewodski Island produced average of deer (the most being an high deer populations and was a average of 250 pounds in some popular hunting destination. In the late Southeast Alaska communities). 1960’s and early 1970’s, the deer However, Petersburg, along with Sitka population on Kupreanof, Mitkof and and Wrangell, account for 60 percent of surrounding islands decreased the total number of rural households in significantly due to heavy snow the Southeast Alaska region (Kruse and accumulation during successive winters. Muth 1990). Hunting for deer was closed on Rural residents of Petersburg and the Woewodski Island in 1974. In 1980, the surrounding communities can harvest Alaska Department of Fish and Game one antlered deer from Mitkof, started receiving reports of deer Woewodski or Butterworth Island from sightings on Woewodski Island. In the October 15 to October 31. winter of 1980-81, it was verified that deer were once again present on the Fishing island. An estimated 180 visitor days per year During a period in the late 1950’s and are spent sport fishing in freshwater for 1960’s when deer populations were coho salmon, cutthroat trout and Dolly considered to be relatively high Varden Char on Woewodski Island. throughout Southeast Alaska, an Most of this use is centered around estimated annual harvest of 14 deer
104 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment was taken from Woewodski Island. Chart 1 indicates the number of animals Forest Service biologists estimated that reported by trappers and hunters on in 1988 the number of deer harvested Woewodski Island between 1990 and would be around 25 animals annually 2003 (Alaska Department of Fish and (USDA Forest Service, 1988). Game, 2003). The assumption made is Most of the trapping efforts on that all of the trapping or hunting activity Woewodski Island are concentrated on this island is by rural residents of along the beaches and the shoreline of Alaska and is recognized as Harvey Lake. Marten and wolf trapping subsistence use of wildlife resources. may occur in the interior areas of the Wolf, otter and marten make up a island. In 1988, biologists estimated that substantial number of animals trapped 5-10 marten, 5 otter, 10-20 mink, 5 or hunted on Woewodski Island. An beaver and less than one wolf were exceptional number of wolves have taken annually on the island. It was been taken in the last twelve years. The estimated that 60 visitor days were habitat capability of Woewodksi Island spent trapping and 50 visitor days were alone should not be able to support spent hunting waterfowl annually on or such a high number of wolves as near Woewodski Island (USDA Forest suggested by the trapping records. The Service, 1988). most plausible explanation is that the ¼
Chart 1. Selected Wildlife Species taken on Woewoski Island from 1990-2003.
60 54 46 50 40 26 30 20 10 1 2 3 0 Number of Animals Black bear Moose Wolf Beaver Otter Marten
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 105 mile water separation between Island. The internal document, Woewodski Island and surrounding Woewodski Island Final Environmental Mitkof and Kupreanof islands does not Impact Statement (USDA Forest limit wolf and deer movement between Service,1988), revised this information islands. based on public comments to the DEIS. This agrees with research that has Further research showed that the Forest shown that if islands are in close Service issued 40 permits for free use proximity to each other (less than ½ wood, totaling an estimated 227 mile) then deer and wolf populations do thousand board feet, from Woewodski not act independently and the islands do Island between 1983 and 1984. The not act as a barrier to travel (USDA majority of this wood was harvested Forest Service, 1988). from along the north shore of the island and was used for the construction of Data taken from the Petersburg Ranger homes along Wrangell Narrows and District indicate that one of the four Beecher Pass (USDA Forest Service, wolves trapped and fitted with a radio 1988). collar near Woewodski Island in the Kah Sheets Bay area was later trapped near Currently there is very little free use Bluff Lake on the north end of activity on Woewodski Island. There has Revillagigedo Island near Ketchikan (Ith, been one free use permit issued in the 2002). This represents a distance of past five years (Streuli, 2003). over 100 miles with numerous islands separated by distances far exceeding ½ Other Subsistence Resources mile. This suggests that even larger Shellfish such as Butter Clams are island separation, far beyond ½ mile, occasionally harvested in the Beecher may not pose a barrier to travel for Pass area. The amount of seaweed, wolves. medicinal plants, mushrooms and berries harvested on Woewodski Island Free Use Timber is unknown. The Draft Woewodski Island Environmental Impact Statement (USDA Forest Service, 1987) estimated 19 thousand board feet has been removed as free-use timber on Woewodski
106 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Public Comments
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 107 (Purposefully Blank Page)
108 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Public Involvement for development than the current 1997 Forest Plan designation. The comments The Woewodski Island Landscape were made in response to public Assessment began in November 2002 scoping for the Whiskey Timber Sale EA with a letter of direction from the District and ensuing Woewodski Island EIS. The Ranger. In February 2003, a scoping majority of the comments expressed letter was sent out to the public, intense opposition to the proposed explaining what a landscape timber harvest and concerns about its assessment is, providing some general possible adverse impacts to various information about the island and inviting resources, especially subsistence and public comment on the land scenery. Other comments were in favor management of Woewodski Island. of economical resource development on the island, such as timber harvest and Open houses were also part of the mining. public involvement plan. In December 2002, a Forest Service open house was The proposed timber harvest on held in Kake. The Woewodski Island Woewodski Island was canceled before Landscape Assessment was one of the Final Environmental Impact numerous projects discussed at that Statement was released. No Record of open house. On February 26, 2003 an Decision was issued on the proposed open house was held in Petersburg, project. The planning records for all past Alaska. This open house was advertised analysis, including past public in the local Petersburg Pilot, on KFSK comments, reside on the Petersburg radio and across the cable scanner. Ten Ranger District in Petersburg, Alaska. people participated in this open house. Landscape Assessment Past Comments Comments
During this landscape assessment Twenty-three public comments were process, past comments were received during the scoping period for considered. These comments were this project. The following summarizes received under the previous Forest these public comments and the Plan, which designated Woewodski responses. Island under less restrictive guidelines
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 109 Heritage Comments The public expressed concern over possible future resource development People voiced the desire to document and ensuing possible adverse impacts and preserve Woewodski’s history to heritage resources. and archaeological sites. Woewodski Island’s archaeology sites Forest Service archaeologists have will be protected regardless of future identified a variety of archaeology sites management activities. through numerous surveys of Woewodski Island between 1981 and 2002. All known archaeology sites will Mining Comments be protected in accordance with Federal Some people indicated they desired regulations, including the National resource development to take priority Historic Preservation Act of 1966. over all other resources. Future projects on Woewodski may spur Management of National Forests is additional project-specific archaeological governed by several laws. The Multiple- surveys. Use Sustained Yield Act of 1960 directs A summary of the island’s the Forest Service to develop and archaeological resources is presented in administer renewable surface resources this landscape assessment. for multiple use and sustained yield. Archaeological site-specific information Multiple use refers to making the best is maintained and housed in databases use of land for some or all resources or administered by the State Historic related services. Specific to mineral Preservation Officer in Anchorage. resources, the Forest Plan assures prospectors and claimants their rights People suggested the Forest Service granted under the General Mining Law develop trails and interpretation of of 1872, ANILCA and the National Woewodski Island’s early mining Forest Mining Regulations (36 CFR history. 228). Future projects proposed in this landscape assessment include different Other people expressed the desire to mediums for mining interpretation, limit or restrict resource including trail signs, flyers and development, in particular, logging brochures. and/or mining.
110 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment The 1997 Forest Plan identifies plan and disclose any possible resource Woewodski Island within development impacts and/or mitigation measures. land use designations (LUDs). Specifically, the island is predominately Recreation Comments located within the Scenic Viewshed LUD People suggested we develop trails with isolated areas identified as Modified Landscape LUD. These LUDs provide and interpretation of Woewodski for a mix of resource activities, including Island’s early mining history. timber harvest, mineral development, The Possible Opportunities section recreation, wildlife habitat and viewing, captures these suggestions along with fisheries enhancements and scenic the possible projects recommended for enjoyment. Specific to mineral resource archaeology. development, the Forest Plan assures prospectors and claimants their rights Some people indicated the island is granted under the General Mining Law an important aspect of the area’s of 1872, ANILCA and National Forest ecotourism. Mining Regulations (36 CFR 228). This is recognized and will be Some people expressed concerns over considered when proposing any new possible future resource development activities on the island. Outfitter/guides who use the island and surrounding impacts on other resources. waters would be solicited for their Mineral exploration is occurring on comments and ideas. Woewodski Island. An Exploration Plan has been filed by one claimant and People commented that Woewodski approved by the Petersburg Ranger Island provides a highly valued District for current exploration activities. recreation opportunity, as well as Before any mining activities (or mineral being one of the few roadless development) can occur, a claimant recreational opportunities on the must file a Plan of Operation with the Tongass. They felt this opportunity Forest Service. In accordance with should be protected and were against environmental review procedures, the any future attempt to develop Forest Service would then conduct an environmental analysis of the submitted
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 111 motorized recreational opportunities A few new trails are suggested in the on the island. Possible Opportunities section. If any new activity were proposed, like A few people commented that road construction, the existing logging roads are good for recreation recreation values and opportunities because they are used by hunters and would be considered and analyzed for effects. Under the Forest Plan, road others for access to recreational construction is allowed on Woewodski activities. Island and may be proposed as part of a The Forest Service recognizes the need possible future project. for both motorized and non-motorized recreation opportunities on the District. Currently, more than 90 percent of the Some people want mostly unroaded Tongass National Forest is still wild, experiences and others want mostly unroaded and undeveloped. In addition roaded experiences. The Forest Service to the 508 million acres of designated tries to provide a range of recreation wilderness, the Forest Plan provides opportunities; however, not every another 7.4 million acres in LUDS that experience is available in every place. will be retained in a natural condition Under the Forest Plan, road that could provide roadless recreation construction is allowed on the island and activities. may be proposed as part of a possible project in the future. People suggested encouraging non- motorized recreational opportunities Some people stated that the need to such as hiking and cross-country focus on maintaining current skiing on the island. developed recreation opportunities Non-motorized recreational activities and limit all new development, such as those mentioned are presently including developed recreation sites. allowed and do take place on In light of recent declining recreation Woewodski Island. The island has one funding, a higher priority is being placed developed trail but no developed cross- on maintaining current facilities over country trails or routes. Skiers usually building new facilities that will also need find their own routes in the backcountry. maintenance. This trend appears to be
112 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment continuing. Based on Forest Plan pursued could increase access to and direction, development opportunities are on the island. allowed on Woewodski Island. Some new projects, such as trails and Some people questioned the recreation improvements, are suggested accuracy of recreational use numbers in the Possible Opportunities section for the island and suggested a sign-in and may be considered in the future. box at the Harvey Lake trailhead. However, no large recreational A sign-in box has been incorporated as developments, such as new cabins a possible future opportunity on sites, are currently anticipated. Woewodski Island. People suggested improving boat access to the trailhead and improving Scenic Comments the swimming area at Harvey Lake. People indicated they were Several specific ideas for improvements concerned about how possible future like these are included in the Possible development would impact Opportunities section. Woewodski Island’s viewsheds. They expressed a desire to protect the A concern was expressed that access island’s scenic values. to most parts of the island is a The Forest Plan goals and objectives for challenge. Access includes only one Woewodski Island are to maintain a high developed trail, which is not suitable degree of scenic quality. Future for all levels of hikers. activities would recognize scenic values Some additional trail opportunities are as a major consideration in development identified in this document. Trails are and modify practices accordingly. rated for visitors based on the hiking Viewsheds will be maintained in a difficulty of the trail. The current Harvey natural appearing condition from popular Lake Trail is rated as Class 3, which is travel routes and use areas. considered moderately easy but is not considered barrier-free or suitable for Some people linked the scenic wheelchairs or hikers with limited condition of Woewodski Island to the mobility. Other future opportunities may include a transportation system, which if
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 113 real estate value of surrounding from all surrounding water locations, private land. and therefore are difficult to feasibly manage for timber under current market Any future development would consider conditions. the scenic condition of the island from surrounding private land. Many people were against any timber harvest on Woewodski Island. Vegetation/Timber The Forest Plan sets forth in detail the Comments direction for managing land and resources of the Tongass National Some people were in favor of timber Forest. Specific activities that can occur harvest and indicated the Forest in an area are determined by the land Service should make economic use designation an area is in. resource development opportunities Woewodski Island is predominately available. They felt these located within the Scenic Viewshed LUD development opportunities should with isolated areas identified as Modified take priority over all other resources. Landscape. Both LUDs allow for development of resources, including The island is predominately located timber harvest. within the Scenic Viewshed LUD (8,995 acres) with isolated areas identified as Modified Landscape LUD (total 1,273 Transportation Comments acres). Both LUDs allow for timber Many people said they wanted to harvest, but do so under the condition keep Woewodski roadless. that scenic values are maintained in Woewodski Island has been identified their current conditions. The Forest Plan under the Forest Plan as a development provides standards and guidelines for land use designation (LUD). The island timber harvest within these LUDs. is comprised of two LUDs, Modified These standards and guidelines restrict Landscape and Scenic Viewshed. Both timber harvest by limiting the location of these LUDs allow road building. and size of harvest units and the associated infrastructure. Most of Some people were concerned that Woewodski’s commercially valuable development of a Log Transfer stands of timber are viewed extensively
114 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Facility (LTF) would disrupt the The development of a transportation commercial crab fishing in the area. system for resources such as recreation or timber may or may not happen, The 1985 LTF environmental depending upon future direction and assessment of Woewodski Island took management activities on Woewodski into account the effects of the LTF on Island. If a transportation system were the commercial crab fishing in the area. proposed, the necessary enviornmental If future activities include the analysis would be completed. development of an LTF, most likely a new environmental assessment of the A transportation system for the LTF project would be done and the development of the mining industry effects on the commercial crab fishing in would be controlled by the U.S. Mining the area would be considered. Law of 1872. This law takes precedence Other people commented they would over the regulations that guide the development regulations of the other like to see Woewodski developed resources on the island. This does not with a road system and an LTF. preclude the necessary environmental Woewodski is designated for possible protection during the construction of the development. The island is presently road system. being extensively studied for mineral potential. A road system and an LTF There were suggestions for would aid in this development. Other improvements to boat access and a possible future activities could include boat tie up at the trailhead to the development of a road system and Harvey Lake Cabin. LTF on the island; however, an The Possible Opportunities listed for this environmental analysis would be landscape assessment have required before any road or LTF incorporated this recreation opportunity construction. suggestion for Woewodski Island. Some people voiced concerns over Presently, boats have to accommodate transportation systems (locations, the tides and anchor out on the mud flats at the trailhead to Harvey Lake. costs, impacts) linked to possible This opportunity, if pursued as a future resource development. proposed project, would require an
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 115 environmental assessment to determine freshwater fish habitat, marine life its feasibility. and marine habitat. They stressed the importance of the economic Soils and Wetlands dependence on the aquatic resources Comments surrounding Woewodski Island. During the scoping process for this The Forest Plan objective is to maintain project, we received no public or restore the natural range and comments specifically addressing soils frequency of aquatic habitat conditions and wetlands. on the Tongass National Forest in order to sustain the diversity and production of Aquatic Resources fish and other organisms. The Forest Plan encourages the exploration, Comments development and extraction of locatable A concern about current water and leasable minerals and energy quality of lakes and streams was resources. However, all mining expressed. operations must have a Plan of Operations and an environmental The Forest Service has not done any analysis with proper documentation that water quality analysis on Woewodski adequately mitigates any adverse Island. There are some who believe that impacts. The mitigation measures are the lakes and streams there may designed to maintain habitats, to the contain naturally high levels of minerals. maximum extent feasible, of If resource development projects are anadromous fish and other food fish, proposed, such as mining or timber and maintain the present and continued harvest, the environmental analysis for productivity of such habitats when they the project will include an appropriate are affected by mining activities. Best characterization of water quality. Management Practices (BMPs) will be applied to any future resource Fisheries Comments development to maintain water quality. Some people expressed concerns about possible future resource A concern about current water development impacts on fish, quality of lakes and streams was
116 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment expressed. (Also addressed under Wildlife/Biodiversity Hydrology Comments) Comments The Forest Service has not done any Public comments ranged from the water quality analysis on Woewodski Island. There are some who believe that desire to protect subsistence and the lakes and streams there may sport hunting opportunities on the contain naturally high levels of minerals. island, to tightly controlling and If resource development projects are regulating hunting and trapping proposed, such as mining or timber activities to eliminating hunting and harvest, the environmental analysis for trapping from the island completely. the project will include an appropriate In 1990, the Federal Government characterization of water quality. assumed responsibility for the A few people suggested limiting management of the subsistence taking fishing opportunity on and around of wildlife on federal public lands in Alaska. The Alaska National Interest the island. More people expressed Lands Conservation Act of 1980 the desire to protect fishing requires that subsistence opportunities opportunities on and around have a priority over other users to take Woewodski Island. wildlife on federal public lands. Healthy The Forest Service does not regulate wildlife populations are currently sport or commercial fishing opportunities managed to provide subsistence on or around the island. Fishing is opportunities in the future. It is essential regulated by the State of Alaska. The that populations are conserved for Forest Service will minimize impacts to subsistence use. fish habitat by applying the Forest Plan The State of Alaska has a public standards and guidelines for protecting process for setting sport hunting, fish, riparian areas, soil and water. trapping and State subsistence These incorporate BMPs. regulations. The Federal government has the same process for Federal subsistence regulations. If a concern develops over wildlife management or issues related to subsistence or sport
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 117 hunting, individuals are encouraged to and guidelines that protect important work this established process to make specific areas. changes. This process is outlined on Large, medium and small old-growth page 32 of the Alaska Hunting habitat reserves have been designed for Regulations No. 44 or page 3 of the the Tongass National Forest as part of Subsistence Management Regulations the Forest Plan Revision process. for the Harvest of Wildlife on Federal Large reserves provide a contiguous Public Lands in Alaska (2004). landscape of approximately 40,000 Some people suggested Woewodski acres. The nearest large OGR is the Island be designated as a habitat Petersburg Creek/Duncan Salt Chuck reserve. Wilderness to the north on Kupreanof Island. The old-growth habitat conservation Medium reserves provide a continuous strategy developed for the Tongass landscape of approximately 10,000 National Forest has two basic acres. The nearest medium OGR is components, which are described in located north of Beecher Pass on the detail in Appendix N of the Forest Plan. southern end of the Lindenburg The first is a forest reserve network that Peninsula. protects the integrity of old-growth habitat by using a system of large, Small reserves form a contiguous medium and small old-growth reserves. landscape of 16 percent of the area of These are identified in the Forest Plan each value comparison unit (VCU). Fifty as Old-Growth Habitat LUD’s. The percent of that area shall be productive second is management of “matrix” old-growth. In VCU 448, the small OGR lands, or those lands located in between is presently located on Mitkof Island dedicated reserve areas. These are land north of Point Alexander. areas with LUD allocations where Woewodski Island contains 10,362 commercial timber harvest may occur, acres, which fits the medium OGR such as the Scenic Viewshed and category well. Adjustment of the present Modified Landscape LUD’s on medium OGR would require an Woewodski Island. In these areas, some amendment to the Forest Plan. of the components of the old-growth Typically the large and medium OGR’s ecosystem are maintained by standards
118 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment are set until the next revision of the important wildlife site-specific factors Forest Plan. that may make it a candidate as a small Varying levels of local site information OGR option in this VCU in the future. were used to design the small old- Some people expressed concerns growth habitat reserves in the Forest Plan. As a consequence, alternative about impacts to wildlife and wildlife locations for the placement of the small habitat by possible future logging old-growth reserves are considered activities. during project alternative development. If future management activities, in The present location of the small OGR accordance with the ten-year schedule, in VCU 448 was the result of a propose a timber harvest on Woewodski collaborative analysis with the Alaska Island, an environmental analysis would Department of Fish and Game during be conducted which would consider the the Woodpecker project in 2000 and impacts to wildlife and wildlife habitat. 2001. The impacts and any mitigation As a response to this comment, measures or designs would be Woewodski Island was looked at for disclosed in either an Environmental potential areas that could be considered Assessment or an Environmental Impact for a small old-growth reserve. An area Statement. was identified using the criteria found in Appendix K of the Forest Plan, A concern was expressed over the concentrating on site-specific factors apparent lack of small birds in most that meet wildlife habitat objectives. A areas of Woewodski Island. simple comparison was then made to A list of birds observed on the island is the existing small OGR in VCU 448 shown in Appendix B, Table B-1. Many located on Mitkof Island. The results of of the birds identified on the list are this comparison are found in Appendix B representative species on the Forest. in Table B-2. The list of birds identified does not The existing small OGR located in VCU support the assumption that there is an 448 and the area identified on apparent lack of small birds on the Woewodski Island are very comparable island. However, intensive inventories to in deer winter habitat capability. The establish bird population have not been area on Woewodski has additional conducted.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 119 Subsistence on page 32 of the Alaska Hunting Regulations No. 44 or page 3 of the Protect subsistence and sport hunting Subsistence Management Regulations opportunities on the island. Tightly for the Harvest of Wildlife on Federal control and regulate trapping and Public Lands in Alaska (2004). hunting. These activities should be eliminated. (Also addressed under Wildlife) In 1990, the Federal Government assumed responsibility for the management of the subsistence taking of wildlife on federal public lands in Alaska. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 requires that subsistence opportunities have a priority over other users to take wildlife on federal public lands. Healthy wildlife populations are currently managed to provide subsistence opportunities in the future. It is essential that populations are conserved for subsistence use. The State of Alaska has a public process for setting sport hunting, trapping, and state subsistence regulations. The Federal Government has the same process for Federal subsistence regulations. If a concern develops over wildlife management or issues related to subsistence or sport hunting, individuals are encouraged to work through the established process to make changes. This process is outlined
120 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Possible Opportunities
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 121 (Purposefully Blank Page)
122 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment One of the objectives for this landscape Whiskey Pass and Harvey Lake analysis was to come up with a list of watershed. possible future opportunities for each resource. The following list incorporates Recreation and Tourism suggestions received from public • Remove trees at Harvey Lake that comments. Some of these proposed shade the beach; use the wood for projects would still require further firewood at the cabin. environmental analysis, public review • Anchor a swimming float offshore of and decision-making mandated by the swimming beach at Harvey Lake. NEPA. Initiation and timing of any It would help separate swimmers projects would depend on many factors, from the leeches that concentrate in including funding. the shallow water where the water Heritage lilies grow. • Engineer a system at the Harvey • Interpretative flyer, brochure or sign Lake Trailhead so skiffs stay floating regarding Woewodski Island mining at all tide stages. history. • Install a sign-in box at the Harvey • Compilation of oral histories Lake Trailhead to more accurately recording past island use. assess the level of use. • Passport in Time volunteer project • Build trails and interpretation of the recording ancient fish traps. early mining activities around Minerals Whiskey Pass and Harvey Lake watershed. Mining activities are conducted by • Extend the Harvey Lake trail to claimants. The Forest Service approves continue all the way around Harvey exploration plans and/or plans of Lake. operations but does not actively, as an agency, mine any mineral deposits on • Explore possibility of building a trail national lands. from the Beecher Pass Cabin to Harvey Lake. • Build trails and interpretation of the early mining activities around
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 123 Transportation Scenery • Construct a dock and boat tie up for • Prepare vegetative management small boats to access the trailhead to plans for Beecher Pass Cabin, Harvey Lake. Harvey Lake Cabin and Harvey Lake Trail to improve appearance and • Install a swim float for use at the functional condition of these Harvey Lake cabin to access deeper facilities. water away from the leeches. • Prepare a design strategy to assist in Soils and Wetlands achieving the Forest Plan desired future condition objectives for Most soils projects are related to past or Woewodski Island viewsheds. present management activities. Due to the limited management activities that • Mitigate visual impacts to scenery have occurred on Woewodski, there are associated with potential mining currently no suggestions for future soils development. projects.
Timber and Vegetation Aquatic Resources • Prepare an environmental impact • Gather baseline surface water statement to analyze offering a quality data. medium or large timber sale. • Characterize groundwater flow • If a road-system is developed in patterns and quality. conjunction with a medium or large timber sale, analyze for potential • Secure water rights for the protection small timber sales. of in-stream flows in fish-bearing streams. • Provide opportunities for the value- added wood industry by offering very Fisheries small individual tree sales. • Study the potential for introduction of • Continue administering free-use on sockeye to Harvey Lake. Woewodski Island. • Monitor water quality. • Construct and maintain one trail on the south end of the island away
124 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment from the streams (like Brushy Creek, field studies. Protect this area which is lined with miners trails and according to the existing Forest Plan claims that are causing erosion in standards and guidelines. the streambanks) to minimize • Conduct breeding bird surveys on sedimentation. this island and compare results to • Study the practicality of providing the surveys on Mitkof Island to fish passage at the barriers above determine if there is a lack of Harvey Lake. songbirds on Woewodski Island. • Continue the coordination with the Wildlife and Biodiversity Alaska Department of Fish and • Consider the location of a small old- Game to conduct deer pellet group growth reserve on Woewodski Island counts. These surveys can be used for VCU 448 in future project to determine trends in the deer analysis. population on Woewodski Island. • Protect and conserve important old • Conduct surveys for endemic growth areas defined by this mammals on Woewodski Island. assessment and past assessments Use this information to examine the related to timber harvest proposals theory that this island may act as an to promote future subsistence and important dispersal area and is able sport harvest of deer. The 1,104 acre to support marten populations. interior old-growth habitat area contains the highest marten and deer habitat capability on the island. Verify the importance of these specific areas with field studies. • Follow Forest Plan standards and guidelines for protection of the historical goshawk and other raptor nesting and foraging areas. Protect the wolf den found on this island. • Identify the great blue heron rookery located near Alexander Bay using
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 125 to obtain accurate subsistence use Subsistence figures on Woewodski Island. • Consider the Woewodski Small Old- Growth Reserve design created as
part of this assessment as a viable option when developing new planning proposals in VCU 448 to protect subsistence and wildlife resources. • Protect and conserve important old- growth areas defined by this
assessment to promote future
subsistence and sport harvest of deer. • Continue the coordination with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to conduct deer pellet group counts to determine trends in the deer population on Woewodski Island. • Habitat relationships between deer and wolf populations and travel routes used on Woewodski Island are poorly understood. Suggest continued monitoring of trapping use and initiation of a telemetry study similar to the ongoing study on Heceta Island. • Survey the population of Petersburg and surrounding communities which include Kupreanof, Beecher Pass, and the residents of Duncan Canal
126 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Glossary
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 127
128 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Adfluvial Fish Species or populations of fish that do not go to sea, but live in lakes, and enter streams to spawn.
Adit A nearly horizontal passage from the surface in a mine.
Alluvial Fan Have low to moderate gradient (<5%) and are strongly influenced by alluvial deposition; Process Group generally tributary streams located on foot slope landforms in a transitional area between valley flood plains and steep mountain slopes; sediment deposition tends to create elongated islands of bare cobbles and gravel between a multi-branched channel network.
Anadromous Fish which mature and spend much of their adult life in the ocean, returning to inland Fish waters to spawn. Salmon and steelhead are examples.
Argillite A clay-rich sedimentary rock.
Arterial Roads Roads which serve large land areas and usually connect to a public highway.
Breccia Rock made up of angular fragments of other rocks.
Channel The external structure of rocks in relation to the development of erosional forms or Morphology topographic features.
Claim Staking To define surface boundaries to mineral rights.
Classified Roads Roads developed and operated for long-term land resource management purposes.
Collector Roads Roads which serve smaller areas and connect to either arterial roads or public highways.
Core Drilling Exploratory drilling that produces a rock core that enables the prospector to identify subsurface rock types and determine mineralization at specific points.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 129
Diorite A medium- to coarse-grained plutonic rock, gray to dark gray, occasionally greenish to brownish gray. Prominent crystals include plagioclase feldspar, hornblende and biotite. Occurs as stocks, sills and dikes; often forms in marginal portions of large granite- granodiorite masses. Results from slow, deep-seated cooling of magma richer in ferromagnesian constituents than those that produced the plutonic rocks of the granite family.
Drift A nearly horizontal mine passageway driven on or parallel to the course of vein or rock stratum. A small crosscut in a mine connecting two larger tunnels.
Dwarf Mistletoe A parasite that occurs primarily in western hemlock and causes defect and loss of vigor in some maturing stands.
Endemic Restricted to a particular locality. For example, a particular species or subspecies may occur on only one or a very few islands.
Estuarine Intertidal streams directly influenced by tidal inundation; channels are associated with Process Group saltwater marches, meadows, mudflats and gravel deltas that are all predominately depositional environments.
Existing Visual The level of scenic quality existing at the present time. Classified as six condition types Condition (EVC) (I-VI) representing changes in the landscape from ecologically undisturbed to excessive visual alteration, a glaring contrast to the natural appearance.
Exploration Plan Outlines the sampling methods used to study the sought after mineral deposits.
Fen A tract of low, wet ground containing sedge peat, relatively rich in mineral salts, alkaline in reaction and characterized by slowly flowing water; fens contribute to stable stream flows, provide nutrient input to streams and often contribute to fish rearing habitat.
Fish Trap A series of stakes positioned driven into the tide flat or stream sediments to form an entrapment.
Fish Weir Stakes aligned like a fence to form a barrier across a stream channel.
130 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Flood Plain Generally lowland and valley bottom streams and rivers; high stream flows not Process Group commonly contained within the active channel banks and some degree of flood plain development evident; usually low gradient (<2%) channels where alluvial deposition is prevalent.
Gabbro A dark-gray, coarse-grained plutonic rock that cools slowly at depth from magma that is more fluid than granite magma. Because of this fluidity, olivine crystals tend to settle to the bottom of the intrusion. Compared to diorite, gabbro contains less silica, potassium and sodium, but more iron, magnesium and calcium. Occurs as sheetlike, saucer- shaped intrusions called lopoliths; also as dikes and stocks.
Geophysical The art and science of inferring the distribution of subsurface physical properties, such Surveying as geological characteristics, using measurements taken at or above the surface.
Glacial Outwash Mountain glacier meltwater is sourced runoff to these streams; streams carry extremely Process Group high sediment loads and turbid water; gradients usually <3%.
Greenstone Metamorphic rock formed from mild regional metamorphism of ferromagnesian igneous rocks (basalt and gabbro). When a schistose foliation of green minerals begins to appear, the rock is classified as a chlorite schist.
Habitat The long-term potential of an area to be able to support animals. Capability Heritage An historic or traditional cultural property, an ancient or historically significant object that Resource possess integrity of location or an area where historic properties abound.
High Gradient Shallowly to deeply incised, high gradient (over 6%), mountain slope streams; high to Contained moderate gradient glacial meltwater streams are also included. Process Group
Historic Property Either historic or prehistoric and has significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering or culture.
Large Contained Low to moderate gradient (1-3%) channels are moderately incised with good low Process Group containment; stream flow is well contained by adjacent landforms; larger valley or
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 131
lowland streams often having limited areas of alluvial sediment deposition within the confines of the upper banks.
Lithology The character of a rock formation or of the rock found in a geological area or stratum.
Local Roads Terminal roads that may connect with another type of road.
Magma Molten rock material, beneath the solid crust of the earth, that solidifies to form igneous rocks at (volcanic rock) or below (plutonic rock) the earth’s surface.
Metamorphism Processes which produce change in preexisting rocks by high pressures and temperatures as well as chemical activity deep within the earth’s curst. The changes that take place during metamorphism fall into three categories: the formation of new minerals, changes in the shape and size of mineral grains, and development of new structures in the rock. Three basic metamorphic processes are recognized: contact (thermal), hydrothermal and dynamothermal (regional) metamorphism. Contact metamorphism is due primarily to heat from an igneous intrusion. Hydrothermal metamorphism is due to the percolation of hot solutions or gasses through fractures, causing changes in the chemistry and mineralogy of the surrounding rock. Regional metamorphism results from the combined heat and pressure that accompany large- scale mountain-building processes.
Midden Sites Places where squirrels store collected food.
Mineral Soils Soils consisting predominately of, and having its properties determined by, mineral matter such as sand, salt or clay.
Mining Underground excavation to remove mineral resources.
Moderate Moderate gradient (2-6%) streams where sediment deposition processes are limited; Gradient Mixed channel banks are frequently composed of boulder or bedrock materials that limit later Control Process channel migration and flood development along many segments of these channel types. Group
Organic Soils Soils which contain a high percentage (greater than 15%) of organic matter, such as decayed plant material throughout the soil depth.
132 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Palustrine Very low gradient (<1%) streams associated with low relief landforms and wetland Process Group drainage networks; water movement is slow and sediment transport low; channels act as traps and storage areas for fine organic and inorganic sediments.
Patented Claim The surface and mineral rights of a claim found to be valid come under private ownership of the claimant.
Phyllite A metamorphic rock similar to slate, only the crystals are visible; may contain porphyroblasts (large crystals) of garnet, andalusite, etc. Slaty foliation produced by alignment of mica flakes in parallel planes along which rock splits into thin sheets; phyllite has wavy to crinkly foliation; remnant bedding may be visible as color bands cutting across the foliation. Pronounced silky sheen. Parent rock is generally mudstone or shale. From medium grade regional metamorphism of slate. Represents an intermediate state in the progressive metamorphic series (shale-slate-phyllite-mica schist). Muscovite and chlorite are the principal constituents.
Placer Mining The obtaining of minerals from placers (alluvial, marine or glacial deposits) by washing or dredging.
Plan of Operation Describes how the claimant proposes to develop the mineral deposit; subject to management agency approval.
Plutonic Rock Rock formed directly from molten rock that cooled slowly at considerable depth beneath the earth’s surface, allowing mineral crystals to grow to visible size.
Prospecting Exploring mineral-bearing grounds.
Resident Fish Fish that are not migratory and complete their entire life cycle in fresh water.
Shell Midden A buried heap of bivalve shells, charcoal and bones that were tossed aside after harvest and meal preparation.
Soil and Rock A process of mineral exploration in which surface material is collected for analysis. Sampling
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 133
Soil Productivity The inherent capacity of a soil to support the growth of specific plants or plant communities.
Sulfides A group of minerals (such as pyrite, galena and sphalerite) in which sulfur is in combination with one or more metals (copper, iron, lead or zinc).
Subsistence Use The customary and traditional uses by rural Alaska residents of wild renewable resources for direct, personal or family consumption as food, shelter, fuel, clothing, tools or transportation; for the making and selling of handicraft articles out of non-edible byproducts of fish and wildlife resources taken for personal or family consumption; for barter, or sharing for personal or family consumption and for customary trade.
Traditional An historic property whose significance is derived from the role the property plays in a Cultural Property community’s historically rooted beliefs, custom and practices.
Unclassified Temporary roads built for one-time access and then removed. Roads
Valid Claim A claim that may be developed and/or patented.
Water Quality The concentration of dissolved solids and gases, suspended solids, hydrogen ions, pathogenic organisms and heat in a given quantity of water.
Water Right Legal right granted by the state to use surface or groundwater for a specific use.
Wetlands Areas frequently saturated by water and which support vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil; bogs, swamps, marshes or similar areas.
Windthrow The act of trees being uprooted by the wind. In Southeast Alaska, Sitka spruce and hemlock trees are shallow rooted and susceptible to windthrow. There are generally three types of windthrow: (1) endemic, where individual trees are blown over; (2) catastrophic, where a major windstorm can destroy hundreds of acres; and (3) management related, where the clearing of tress in an area make the adjacent standing trees vulnerable to windthrow.
134 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Appendix A
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 135
136 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Table A-1. Woewodski Island Mineral Deposits in Mining Claims Mine Deposit Type(s) Host Rocks Minerals Helen S. Gold vein; Felsic and intermediate volcanic flows and Gold, galena, volcanogenic massive breccias, limestone, and argillite; greenstone pyrite, sulfide (VMS) deposit schist hosts gold-bearing quartz veins (associated sphalerite of zinc, silver, and lead with arsenic); hornblende diorite intrudes the volcanic flows on the NW Harvey Gold vein Felsic and intermediate volcanics; locally Gold Creek silicified and pyritized phyllite Hope Gold vein Felsic and intermediate volcanic flows and Gold breccias, limestone, and argillite; hornblende diorite intrudes the volcanic flows to the west Lost VMS deposit of zinc, Felsic and intermediate volcanic flows and Pyrite, Show lead, and silver breccia, limestone, and argillite; metabasalt; tan- sphalerite, weathering schist hosts sulfide lenses galena Maid of Gold vein Mesozoic semi-schist and phyllite, Mesozoic Free gold, Mexico phyllite and slate, and Triassic felsic and pyrite, galena, intermediate volcanics (Hyd Group); vein near sphalerite contact between slate and siliceous dolomite Maid of Gold vein Mesozoic semi-schist and phyllite, Mesozoic Gold (vein), Texas phyllite and slate, and Triassic felsic and pyrite (schist) intermediate volcanics (Hyd Group) East of VMS deposit of zinc Mesozoic semischist and phyllite (Hyd Group) Pyrite, zinc Harvey Lake Scott VMS deposit of zinc Semi-schist and phyllite; rhyodacite with some Sphalerite, and lead andesite and basalt pyrite, galena, barite, gold Scott Gold vein Semi-schist and phyllite; rhyodacite with some Gold, pyrite, Gold andesite and basalt galena, sphalerite, barite
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 137
(cont.) Table A-1. Woewodski Island Mineral Deposits in Mining Claims. Deposit Mine Host Rocks Minerals Type(s) Boulder Point VMS (?) Felsic and intermediate volcanic flows and Pyrrhotite, copper deposit breccias, limestone, and argillite chalcopyrite Hattie Gold vein Greenstone and greenschist; quartz veins 1-3% pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite; minor gold Independence Gold vein Felsic and intermediate volcanic flows and Minor gold breccias, limestone, and argillite; hornblende diorite intrudes the volcanic flows near the south end Mad Dog 2 VMS deposit Volcanic flows and breccia; iron-stained Pyrite, chalcopyrite, of gold, silver, schist sphalerite, gold, zinc, copper silver Brushy Creek VMS deposit Mesozoic greenschist and greenstone (Hyd Pyrite, sphalerite, of zinc, lead, Group) near its contact with the upper and galena and silver cretaceous hornblende diorite; disseminated, thinly banded sulfides hosted in silicified, calcareous volcanics Olympic Unknown gold Mesozoic greenschist and greenstone (Hyd Gold, some silver, Resources Gold Group) near its contact with the upper arsenic cretaceous hornblende diorite; bedrock is covered by glacially derived blue-gray clay 10,000 to 15,000 years old 1 Source: Still, et al. 2002, pages 149-207.
138 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Appendix B
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 139
140 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Table B-1. Bird Species located on Woewodski Island. Breeding Landbirds Breeding Waterbirds Wintering Birds or Migrants Marsh Hawk Arctic loon White-fronted Goose Bald Eagle Red-throated Loon Bufflehead Blue grouse Red-necked Grebe Harlequin Duck Rufous Hummingbird Great Blue Heron Common Merganser Northern Flicker Canada Goose Red-breasted Merganser Red-breasted Sapsucker Mallard Hairy Woodpecker Common Goldeneye Western Flycatcher Barrow’s Goldeneye Tree Swallow Northern Pintail Stellar’s Jay Green-winged teal Northwestern Crow Greater Yellowlegs Northern Raven Spotted Sandpiper Chestnut-backed Chickadee Common Snipe Red-breasted Nuthatch Marbled Murrelet Brown Creeper Winter Wren Belted Kingfisher American Robin Varied Thrush Hermit Thrush Swainson’s Thrush Golden-crowned Kinglet Warbling Vireo Orange-crowned Warbler Yellow Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Townsend’s Warbler Wilson’s Warbler
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 141
(cont.) Table B-1. Bird Species located on Woewodski Island. Breeding Landbirds Breeding Waterbirds Wintering Birds or Migrants Pine Sisken Red Crossbill Savannah Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Fox Sparrow Lincoln’s Sparrow Song Sparrow
142 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Table B-2. Comparison between the existing small old-growth reserve on Mitkof Island for VCU 448 to the area located on Woewodski Island for potential future consideration. Small Old Growth Reserve Existing Small OGR Area located on Comparison Table. Woewodski Island
Total Acres 2300 2432 Acres of Productive Old Growth 1840 1710 (POG) Basic Shape of the Reserve Linear Circular Goshawk Nest Sites No Yes Deer Habitat Capability (2003) 186 172 Marbled Murrelet Nest Sites Probable Probable Connectivity no no Special Features Contains 181 acres of Contains 142 acres of Coarse Canopy which Coarse Canopy which represents some of the represents some of the highest volume timber highest volume timber stands on the Forest. stands. A wolf den is present.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 143
144 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment References
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 145
146 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Alaska Sportsman Magazine. 1938, 1940, 1943. Various advertisements. Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals. (1978). Beardslee, Steve. Personal communication. 2003. Petersburg, Alaska. Local miner. Berg, HC and EH Cobb. 1967. Metalliferous Lode Deposits of Alaska. Geological Survey Bulletin 1246. U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. Beschta, RL, RE Bilby, GB Brown, LB Holtby, TD Hofstra. 1987. “Stream temperature and aquatic habitat: fisheries and forestry interactions.” Pages 191-232 in: Salo, EO and TW Cundy, eds., Streamside management, forestry and fisheries interactions. Seattle, WA: University of Washington, Institute of Forest Resources. Bureau of Land Management. 2003. Mining Claim Report. Anchorage, AK: US Department of the Interior, BLM, Alaska State Office. Chapin, T. 1916. Mining Developments in the Ketchikan and Wrangell Mining Districts. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 662. U.S. Government Printing Office. Code of Federal Regulations. 36 CFR 228, Minerals. Revised July 1, 2002. Conner, Cathy and Daniel O’Haire. 1988. Roadside Geology of Alaska. Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Publishing Company. Goldschmidt, W and T Haas. 1946. Possessory Rights of the Natives of Southeastern Alaska. Submitted to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of Interior, Washington, D.C. Iizasa, K, RS Fiske, O Ishizuka, M Yuasa, J Hashimoto, J Ishibashi, J Naka, Y Horii, Y Fujiwara, A Imai, and S Koyama. 1999. “A Kuroko-Type Polymetallic Sulfide Deposit in a Submarine Silicic Caldera” Science, Vol. 283, 12 February: page 975. Johnson, Eric. 2003. “Woewodski Island Fisheries Resource Inventory.” Petersburg, AK: US Department of Agriculture, US Forest Service, Alaska Region, Tongass National Forest, Petersburg Ranger District. Unpublished manuscript.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 147
Jones, SH and CB Fahl. 1994. “Magnitude and Frequency of Floods in Alaska and Conterminous Basins of Canada.” Water-Resources Investigations Report 93-4179. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. Karl, Susan M, Peter J Haeussler, and Anne E McCafferty. 1999. “Reconnaissance Geologic Map of the Duncan Canal/Zarembo Island Area, Southeastern Alaska.” Open-File Report 99-168. U.S. Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey. Lloyd, DS. 1987. “Turbidity as a water quality standard for salmonid habitats in Alaska.” North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 7:34-45. Mavrogenes, Dr. John. Australian National University Economic Geology Course Notes, Semester 2, 2002; GEMOC Website (Australian Research Council National Key Centre for Geochemical Evolution and Metallogeny of Continents); URL: http://gemoc.anu.edu.au/course/geol3007/index.html. Last updated March 5, 2001. Nelson, Dr. Stephen A. Tulane University Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences; Geology 212 (Petrology) Course Notes; Igneous Rocks of the Convergent Margins; URL: http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/geol212/converg_margins.htm. Last updated August 27, 2003. Nowacki, G, P Krosse, G Fisher, D Brew, T Brock, M Shephard, W Pawuk, J Baichtal, E Kissinger. 2001. Ecological Subsections of Southeast Alaska and Neighboring Areas of Canada. Juneau, AK: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Region. R10-TP-75. Roberts, L. 1985. “Archaeological Reconnaissance of a Potential Terminal Transportation Facility Site Within the Deception Point Area of Woewodski Island.” Manuscript on file. U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Tongass National Forest, Petersburg Ranger District, Petersburg, AK. Roberts, L. 1984. “Maid of Mexico Mine (PET-237).” Manuscript on file. U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Tongass National Forest, Petersburg Ranger District, Petersburg, Alaska. Robinson, Mark S. 2002. “Geological Analysis of Woewodski Island.” Olympic Resource Group. website: www.olyresources.com. Last update November 27.
148 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Roppel, P. 2001. “The Gold Mines of Woewodski Island.” Alaskan Southeaster. July: 14-19, 41. Seal, Robert R II, Jane M Hammarstrom, Nora K Foley, and Charles N Alpers. 2002. “Geoenvironmental Models for Seafloor Massive Sulfide Deposits.” In: Seal, Robert R II; Foley, Nora K, eds. Progress on Geoenvironmental Models for Selected Mineral Deposit Types. U.S.G.S. Open File Report 02-195, Online Version 1.0. URL: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/of02-195/index.html. Last modified May 30. Still, Jan C, Peter E Bittenbender, Kirby W Bean, and Edward G Gensler. 2002. Mineral Assessment of the Stikine Area, Central Southeast Alaska. Technical Report 51. Anchorage, AK: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management Alaska State Office. Sullivan, K, T Lisle, C Dolloff, G Grant, and L Reid. 1987. “Stream Channels: The link between forests and fishes.” Pages 39-97 in: Salo, EO; Cundy, TW, eds.s Streamside management, forestry and fisheries interactions. Seattle, WA: University of Washington, Institute of Forest Resources. USDA Forest Service. 1979. Visual Character Types. Series No. R10-63. Juneau, AK: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Region, Division of Recreation, Soils, and Watersheds. USDA Forest Service. 1985. FSH 2309.22 Landscape Management Handbook. Juneau, AK: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Region 10. USDA Forest Service. 1987. Woewodski Island Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Juneau, AK: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Region, Tongass National Forest. R10-MB-2. USDA Forest Service. 1988. Woewodski Island Final Environmental Impact Statement. Internal Document. Juneau, AK: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Region, Tongass National Forest. USDA Forest Service. 1992. Channel Type User Guide, Tongass National Forest, Southeast Alaska. Juneau, AK: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Region. R10-TP-26.
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 149
USDA Forest Service. 1997. Tongass Land Management Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement. Juneau, AK: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Region. R10-MB-338b. USDA Forest Service. 1997. Tongass National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. Juneau, AK: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Region. R10- MB-338dd. USDA Forest Service. 2001. FSH 2090.21 Aquatic Habitat Management Handbook. Juneau, AK: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Region R10. USDA Forest Service 2003. Petersburg Site Files and Atlas. Petersburg, AK: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Tongass National Forest, Petersburg Supervisor's Office. USDA Forest Service. 2003. Petersburg Ranger District Land Status Atlas. Petersburg, AK: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Region, Tongass National Forest, Petersburg Ranger District. USDA Forest Service. 2003. Petersburg Ranger District Mining Claim files. Petersburg, AK: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Region, Tongass National Forest, Petersburg Ranger District. USDA Forest Service. 2003. Petersburg Ranger District Outfitter/Guide permit files and actual use database. Petersburg, AK: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Region, Tongass National Forest, Petersburg Ranger District. USDA Forest Service. FSM 2800, Minerals and Geology. U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service. Western Regional Climate Center. “Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary: Petersburg, Alaska.” 1998. http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliRECtM.pl?akpete (2001). Wright, FE and C Wright. 1908. “The Ketchikan and Wrangell Mining Districts, Alaska.” U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 347. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
150 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Interdisciplinary Team
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 151
152 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment
Justin Anderson, Hydrologist Russell Beers, Special Uses Tiffany Benna, Writer/Editor Ben Case, Forester Mary Clemens, Recreation Planner Crystal Harlan, Fish Biologist Glen Ith, Wildlife Biologist Rich Jennings, Silviculturist Alan Murph, Civil Engineer Madonna Parks, GIS Tech Renaker Parks, Soil Scientist Jane Smith, District Archaeologist Jim Steward, Landscape Architect
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 153
154 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment List of Recipients
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 155
156 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment State and Federal Agencies Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation – Division of Air and Water Quality Alaska Department of Fish and Game Alaska Department of Natural Resources Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Mining, Land and Water State of Alaska DNR, Office of History and Archaeology US Army Corps of Engineers US Army Engineer District, Reg Branch US Coast Guard US Department of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service US Environmental Protection Agency – Alaska Region US Fish and Wildlife
Libraries Alaska State Library Petersburg Public Library Quinney Library Sunnyside School Library
Media KFSK Public Radio KSTK FM, Wrangell Petersburg Pilot Wrangell Sentinel
Organizations and Businesses Alaska Fibre Alaska Forest Association Alaska Passages Alaska Rainforest Campaign Applied Sociocultural Research Bluewater Adventures, Ltd Cascadia Wildlands Project
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 157
CEPOA CO-R-E Crystal Lake Hatchery Earthjustice Legal Defence Family Charters Family Partnership, Inc. Forest Conservation Council Forest Dwellers Forestry Sciences Laboratory FSEEE Gateway Forest Products Harza Engineering Island Point Lodge, Inc. Island Voyages, Inc. Juneau Group of Sierra Club Kake Tribal Corporation Kaleidoscope Cruises Ketchikan Gateway Borough Linbald Expeditions, Inc. Monographs Acquisition Services Montgomery Watson Harza, Inc. Narrows Conservation Coalition National Outdoor Leadership School Native Forest Network Native Subsistence Commission Natural Resources Defense Council Nordic Air Olympic Mine, Land Owners Olympic Resources Paden Timber Services Parametrix, Inc. Petersburg Indian Association (NLRA) Petersburg Vessel Owners Association Robertson, Monagle, & Eastaugh
158 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Rocky Point Resort Sealaska Corporation See Alaska Tours & Charters Silver Bay Logging Sitka Conservation Society Smayda Environmental Associates, Inc. Southeast Alaska Conservation Council Southeast Alaska Wood Products Southeast Guide Service Southeast Native Subsistence Commission Southwest Center for Biodiversity The Boat Company The Wilderness Society Tlingit-Haida Central Council Tongass Kayak Adventures University of Alaska Land Management Walt Sheridan and Associates Wrangell Cooperative Association Wrangell Resource Council
Public Officials and Offices City of Kake City of Kupreanof City of Petersburg City of Port Alexander Organized Village of Kake Petersburg Indian Association Wrangell Chamber of Commerce
Individuals Dick Aho Judith Ames Sheal L Anderson
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 159
Bob Bailey Robert T Barode R William Beal Dave Beebe Earl Benitz R Lewis Brantley Pam Brantley Brian Brown Wilbur Brown, Sr Michael and Sonia Bruno Ronn and Dierdre Buschmann Bob and Jule Byers Paul M Cadruvi Jim Cariello Dave and Celia Carlson Chat and Jo Chatham Mary Ellen Clark Donald A Cornelius Judy Cornell Elwin H Covey George Curtis Mr. and Mrs. James L Denison Joe Doerr Ken Dorman Rexanne Eide Gene Feind Tim Flinchum Beth Flor Barney Freedman Marilyn George Gretchen Goldstein Dan and Terry Goodwin Kim Hastings
160 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Rebecca Heinz Linda Henshaw Don Hernandez R Holsinger Gordon Jackson Sarah Jenkins Sue Jennings Darwin Jones John Kaer David Kensinger Rebecca Knight Paul Korchak Melissa Kowalski Eric Lee Erik Lie-Nielsen Enid Magill Alice Maher Karin McCullough David McFadden Denise McMurran Harold Medalen Frieda Menish Gerry Merrigan Roald and Jeannie Norheim Dave Ohmer Ronald L Paden Wayne Parks Hunt Parr Brian Paust Lloyd Pederson Denise Perlich Jay and Carolyn Pritchett David B Randrup
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 161
Doug Reimer Lee and Gail Riblich Beverly Richardson Tom Rockne Dane Roundtree Dorothy Roundtree Irene Roundtree Don Sautner Daniel Savone and Bonnie Westlund Dale Schaefer Gregory Scheff Ellen Sharpsteen Chris Sharpsteen Fred J Shaw Ronald Simpson John Sisk Richard and Sharon Sprague Patricia and Seth Stevens Helen Stokes Charley Streuli James Stomdahl Grant Trask Coral Tsegi Emil Tucker Jackie Tyson Edward R Ule Edward F Wood Lawrence Woodall Christine Woodward Andy Wright Larry Young E L Young
162 ■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Index
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 163
164■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment Alaska Department of Fish and Game Forest Plan standards and guidelines, 4, 9, (ADF&G), 69, 93, 103, 104, 105, 119, 10, 32, 62, 94, 114, 117, 118, 125 125 fragmentation, 53 Alaska Department of Natural Resources, 68 geology, 4, 19, 20, 23, 40, 41, 42, 66, 116, Alaska Marine Highway, 53 117, 123 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation goshawk, 26, 76, 83, 85, 97, 125 Act (ANILCA), 4, 103, 110, 111, 117, habitat capability, 69, 70, 79, 84, 85, 91, 93, 120 94, 106, 125 Alaska Water Quality Standards, 67 heritage resources, 4, 32, 110 Alaska yellow-cedar, 25, 55, 56 humpback whale, 27, 91 beach and estuary buffers, 62, 76, 79, 96 hunting, 4, 15, 45, 49, 91, 92, 93, 97, 104, Best Management Practices (BMPs), 9, 116, 105, 117, 120 117 inventoried roadless areas, 11 biodiversity, 9, 26, 76, 117, 125 Land Use Designation (LUD), 4, 5, 7, 8, 31, black bear, 26, 64, 92 32, 49, 56, 58, 111, 114, 118 channel type, 9, 66 log transfer facility (LTF), 32, 58, 61, 62, commercial fishing, 16, 19, 49, 53, 54, 117 115 deer, 25, 26, 83, 84, 85, 89, 91, 93, 94, 103, marbled murrelet, 27, 83, 85, 98 104, 106, 119, 125, 126 marine mammal, 27, 91 deer winter habitat, 84, 119 market demand, 57 Erosion, 9, 66, 74, 125 marten, 26, 38, 84, 85, 87, 93, 94, 95, 105, fish and fish habitat, 8, 9, 10, 16, 19, 27, 33, 125 49, 62, 63, 64, 66, 68, 69, 70, 73, 74, 75, minerals, 4, 20, 23, 40, 41, 42, 116, 117, 123 80, 92, 93, 94, 95, 103, 104, 116, 117, mitigation, 7, 58, 111, 116, 119 123, 124, 125 Modified Landscape LUD, 4, 7, 8, 9, 31, 49, fish passage, 125 58, 111, 114, 118 fishing, 15, 16, 19, 27, 45, 70, 75, 104, 115, monitoring, 32, 126 117 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), forest health, 56 3, 10, 31, 32, 123 Forest Plan, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 32, 49, 53, National Forest Management Act (NFMA), 57, 62, 80, 94, 96, 109, 110, 111, 112, 10 113, 114, 116, 117, 118, 119, 124, 125 National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Forest Plan SEIS, 11 32, 110
Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment ■ 165 natural disturbance, 55 threatened, endangered, and sensitive old-growth forest, 9, 24, 76, 79, 80, 81, 83, species, 27, 91, 97 84, 85, 91, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 118, 119, timber harvest, 4, 7, 8, 11, 16, 31, 57, 58, 61, 125, 126 66, 74, 79, 92, 94, 109, 111, 114, 116, old-growth habitat reserves, 118, 119 117, 118, 119, 125 osprey, 27, 97 timber management, 10, 58 outfitter/guides, 50, 51, 52, 111 timber sales, 3, 9, 57 planning record, 109 Tongass Land and Resource Management productive forest, 25, 80 Plan (see Forest Plan), 3, 4 public involvement, 15, 109, 116 tourism, 7, 16, 45, 123 recreation, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 15, 45, 46, 49, 50, trails, 8, 38, 54, 66, 74, 110, 111, 112, 113, 56, 63, 68, 111, 112, 115, 123 123, 125 Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS), 7, transportation, 8, 45, 61, 62, 103, 113, 114, 46, 47, 49 115, 124 riparian area, 9, 96, 117 visual quality, 8, 9, 45, 53, 113 Riparian management area (RMA), 9, 34 volume strata, 79, 80, 83, 84 roadless area, 11 water quality, 9, 67, 68, 69, 70, 116, 117, Roadless Area Conservation Rule, 11 124, 125 roads, 7, 8, 9, 11, 19, 32, 36, 58, 61, 62, 112, waterfowl, 26, 27, 49, 64, 75, 76, 79, 80, 96, 114, 115, 124 105 scenic quality, 8, 53, 113 watershed, 3, 10, 66, 76, 123 Scenic Viewshed LUD, 4, 7, 8, 9, 31, 49, 58, western hemlock, 25, 50, 55, 56, 63, 83, 84, 111, 114, 118 98 second-growth, 24 western redcedar, 25, 55, 63 Sediment, 41, 64, 65, 69, 74 wetlands, 9, 55, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 76, shellfish, 27, 75, 103, 104, 106, 115 79, 116, 124 Sitka spruce, 25, 50, 55, 56, 83, 98 wildlife habitat, 4, 8, 10, 79, 111, 119 small sales, 58, 124 wind disturbance, 55, 79 soils, 9, 41, 55, 56, 63, 64, 117 windthrow, 55, 79, 84 State Historic Preservation Officer, 32, 110 wolf, 26, 70, 91, 93, 105, 106, 125, 126 subsistence, 10, 15, 19, 27, 75, 91, 92, 93, 103, 105, 106, 109, 117, 120, 125, 126
166■ Woewodski Island Landscape Assessment