2020 ALASKA FOREST ACTION PLAN STATE OF ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF FORESTRY © 2020 Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry Alaska Division of Forestry 550 W. 7th Ave. Suite 1450 Anchorage, Alaska 99501 Cover photo: Paper birch stand in Southcentral. The State of Alaska is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Contact the Division of Forestry for alternative formats of this publication. Please cite as Alaska Division of Forestry. 2020. 2020 Alaska forest action plan. Anchorage. Table of Contents Executive Summary: 2020 Alaska Forest Action Plan .......................................................................................................................................... 1 Alaska Forest Action Plan Components ............................................................................................................................................................... 1 Statewide Forest Resource Strategy ................................................................................................................................................................... 2 STATEWIDE FOREST RESOURCE ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 What Does the Plan Do? ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 National State and Private Forestry Priorities .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Connections to Other Plans ................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Forest Legacy Program Requirements ................................................................................................................................................................ 5 State Forest Action Plan Requirements Checklist with Page References ...................................................................................................... 6 Forest Conditions and Trends .................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Alaska’s Forests ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Traditional and historic forest use ..................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Cultural Resources ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Forest Land Ownership and Management ...................................................................................................................................................... 14 Population and Communities ............................................................................................................................................................................... 25 Economy .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 26 Landforms, geology, and soils ............................................................................................................................................................................ 27 Climate .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Benefits and opportunities of Alaska’s forests ................................................................................................................................................ 30 Threats to Forest Lands and Resources ............................................................................................................................................................. 42 Priority Landscape Area .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 58 GIS methodology .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 58 Future refinement .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 59 Multi-state areas that are a regional priority ................................................................................................................................................ 60 STATEWIDE FOREST RESOURCE STRATEGY ........................................................................................................................................................ 65 Forest Resource Strategies ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 66 1. Strategies to Conserve and Manage Working Forest Landscapes for Multiple Resources and Values................................... 66 2. Strategies to Protect Forests from Threats ............................................................................................................................................. 73 3. Strategies to Enhance Public Benefits from Trees and Forests ........................................................................................................... 78 4. Strategies for All Priorities ........................................................................................................................................................................ 81 Resources Necessary for the State Forester......................................................................................................................................................... 84 Alaska Division of Forestry .................................................................................................................................................................................. 84 Funding sources ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 95 Partners ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 98 Alaska Forest Action Plan Strategies Matrix ................................................................................................................................................ 100 Evaluating Implementation of the Forest Action Plan ...................................................................................................................................... 102 Stakeholder Coordination ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 103 Key Stakeholder Opportunities Summary .................................................................................................................................................... 104 Appendix A: References Cited ............................................................................................................................................................................ 105 Appendix B: Forest Legacy Program 2002 Assessment of Need ................................................................................................................ 111 Executive Summary: 2020 Alaska Forest Action Plan Developed by the State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry with assistance from cooperative fire and cooperative forestry program stakeholders, the 2020 Alaska Forest Action Plan is a roadmap to address threats facing forests statewide—threats that know no boundaries, such as wildland fire and forest insects and disease. The 2020 Alaska Forest Action Plan is also a roadmap to make the most of the benefits provided by forests, including clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, subsistence, heating for homes, commercial forest products, local jobs, community well-being, and more. The Division of Forestry works in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service State and Private Forestry