	Background

The Tongass, one of 154 national forests managed by the Forest Service,  is located in southeast Alaska and is the largest national forest in the  country (see fig. In 2010, USDA announced its intent to transition the Tongass timber  program to one predominantly based on young growth. The Forest Service expects to  issue a final EIS describing the agency’s final decision regarding how it  will implement the planned transition in December 2016. Forest Service Has Initiated Steps to Assess the Economic Viability of a Young- Growth Timber Industry in the Tongass

The Forest Service has initiated some steps to assess whether its  planned transition to young-growth harvest in the Tongass is likely to  support a viable timber industry in southeast Alaska—one of the key  goals laid out in the Secretary of Agriculture’s 2013 memorandum  discussing the transition. Forest Service officials  told us the agency has also begun an effort to compare the potential  market prices for young-growth timber or products to the cost to harvest,  transport, and process the timber. Forest Service Has Estimated the Volume of Young-Growth Timber Available for Harvest in the Tongass

One key factor in the viability of the timber industry in southeast Alaska is  the volume of timber—both young growth and old growth—available to be  harvested. Forest Service officials said the study’s results may help the  agency assess the economic viability of a Tongass young-growth timber  industry. Federal Agencies Have Taken Steps to Implement Some Actions They Identified to Support the Timber Industry and Other Economic Sectors during the Transition

USDA and the Forest Service identified various actions they and other  federal agencies would take to support the timber industry and other  economic sectors during the transition to young-growth harvest in the  Tongass, and the agencies have taken steps to implement some of these  actions. These actions, which are identified in three documents issued by  USDA and the Forest Service since 2010, focus on four economic  sectors in southeast Alaska: timber, fishing and aquaculture, tourism and  recreation, and renewable energy. However, the agencies have not  implemented other actions they said they would take, because of other  priorities or consideration of other approaches, according to agency  officials. For example:
The USDA Investment Strategy in Support of Rural Communities in  Southeast Alaska 2011-2013 stated the Forest Service would improve  its Tongass timber planning processes by simplifying small timber  sales to assist small-mill owners. This action provided small-mill owners  with flexibility to harvest at more-advantageous times, according to  Forest Service officials. For  example:
The Investment Strategy stated that the Forest Service would  increase guided access to public land. The agency has taken some initial  steps to do so. Stakeholders Identified Options They Said Would Improve Management of the Tongass Timber Program While Expressing Divergent Opinions about the Program’s Overall Direction

Representatives we interviewed from the 30 selected Forest Service  stakeholder organizations identified a variety of options they said would  improve the agency’s management of the Tongass timber program. Stakeholders Identified Various Options for Improving the Management of the Tongass Timber Program

Options stakeholders identified for improving the Forest Service’s  management of the Tongass timber program included:  Improving predictability of timber available for sale. The majority  of the seven timber industry stakeholders we interviewed told us the  Forest Service does not offer a predictable amount of timber for sale  from year to year. These stakeholders emphasized the importance of  predictability for the timber industry to be able to make decisions  about how to retool to accommodate young-growth trees—which they  said is important given potential changes to the industry as a result of  the planned transition. As part of this effort, Forest Service officials told us  they have coordinated with the Alaska Division of Forestry on the  timing of timber sales to try to ensure a more predictable and even  flow of timber offered to the timber industry. Similarly, the Tongass Advisory Committee emphasized  the need for the Forest Service to become more flexible and  responsive to timber industry and community interests for the  transition to be successful. We selected stakeholders to provide a  range of perspectives on the Forest Service’s management of the  Tongass National Forest timber program.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Tongass National Forest, managed by the Forest Service within USDA, is located in southeast Alaska and is the nation's largest national forest. Since the early 20th century, the Tongass has had a timber program based on harvesting old-growth trees, which are generally more than 150 years old. In 2010, USDA announced its intent to transition the Tongass timber program to primarily harvest young growth, in part to help conserve remaining old-growth forest while maintaining a viable timber industry. As part of the planned transition, the Forest Service and other federal agencies identified actions they would take to support several economic sectors in southeast Alaska.
This report describes (1) steps the Forest Service has taken to assess whether its planned transition will meet the agency's goal regarding a viable timber industry in southeast Alaska, (2) the status of actions the Forest Service and other federal agencies stated they would take to support the timber industry and other economic sectors during the transition, and (3) options suggested by agency stakeholders for improving the Forest Service's management of the Tongass timber program. GAO reviewed laws and agency documents related to the Tongass and interviewed federal agency officials and representatives from a nongeneralizable sample of 30 stakeholder organizations—including tribal, state, and local governments and industry and conservation entities—selected to provide a range of perspectives.
The Forest Service generally agreed with GAO's findings.

What GAO Found

The Forest Service has initiated some steps to assess whether its planned transition to young-growth harvest on the Tongass National Forest will support a viable timber industry in southeast Alaska—a goal the Department of Agriculture (USDA) established as part of the transition. For example, the Forest Service reported refining the data it uses to estimate the amount of young-growth timber to be available for harvest over the next 100 years. Forest Service officials stated the agency also began a study in 2015, partly in response to a recommendation that year from a USDA-convened advisory committee, to compare potential market prices for young-growth timber or products to the cost to harvest and process the timber, information that may help the agency assess the economic viability of a young-growth industry in the region. The agency expects the initial results from the study to be available in 2017.
USDA and the Forest Service identified various actions they and other federal agencies would take to support four economic sectors—timber, fishing and aquaculture, tourism and recreation, and renewable energy—during the transition to young-growth harvest on the Tongass, and the agencies have taken steps to implement some of these actions. For example, USDA stated that the Forest Service would improve its planning processes to assist the owners of small timber mills in the Tongass. According to Forest Service officials and documents, the agency has lengthened the duration of some timber sales to provide small timber mills some flexibility on when to harvest in the Tongass. However, the agencies have not implemented other actions identified. For example, the Forest Service has not implemented proposed funding increases for improving fish habitat and tourism facilities in the Tongass because of other spending priorities, according to Forest Service officials.
Representative from the 30 stakeholder organizations GAO interviewed identified options they said would improve the agency's management of the Tongass timber program. These options include improving the predictability of timber available for sale and increasing the agency's focus on small timber mills and other timber-related businesses. Forest Service officials said they have taken some steps to address these options. For example, the majority of the timber industry stakeholders GAO interviewed emphasized the importance of the Forest Service offering a predictable amount of timber for sale from year to year for the timber industry to be able to make decisions about how to retool to accommodate smaller-diameter trees—which they said is important given potential changes to the industry with the planned transition to harvest young-growth trees. In an effort to improve predictability, the Forest Service has coordinated with the Alaska Division of Forestry on the timing of timber sales to try to ensure a more predictable and even flow of timber. However, stakeholders also expressed divergent opinions regarding the overall direction of the Tongass timber program, including the volume and location of timber to be harvested.