PO Box 1368, Cordova, Alaska 99574
Phone: 1-907-424-5701
www.pwsoundkeeper.org
emailpwsk@pwskeeper.org
Tax id # 45-0538213
September 26, 2013
Don Rees, Forest Plan Revision Team Leader
Chugach National Forest
161 East 1st Avenue, Door 8, Anchorage AK 99501
Board of Directors
Kate McLaughlin
President
Chenega Bay
Dean Rand
Vice-President
Whittier
Liz Senear
Treasurer
Cordova
Vince Kelly
Secretary
Valdez
Joe Banta
Member
Anchorage
Dear Forest Planning Leaders,
The issue of a Wilderness Area in Prince William Sound has been on the table since
1980 when Congress first designated the 2.1-million-acre Nellie Juan-College
Fiord Wilderness Study Area (WSA) in western Prince William Sound.
Congress directed the U.S. Forest Service to study the area and report back on
the suitability of all, part, or none of the area as federal wilderness. In 1984, the
U.S. Forest Service recommended most of the area be designated as federal
wilderness. Congress did not act on the Forest Service recommendation. In
2002, the Forest Service revised its Forest Plan and their new recommendation
to Congress was for less acreage for wilderness than in 1984, but still
recommended that most of the WSA be designated as wilderness. Again,
Congress did not act on the Forest Service recommendation. Over 30 years
later western Prince William Sound still lacks official wilderness protection.
Yet PWS is seeing more and more impacts to its wilderness quality from
increased commercial and recreational fishing, and tourism but with no
reciprocal attention to protecting PWS’s precious resources. Since 1980 Prince
William Sound (PWS) has endured the Exxon-Valdez oil spill and its continued
negative impact on the PWS ecosystem and economy. The opening of the city
of Whittier in 2000 to vehicular traffic through the Anton-Anderson Memorial
tunnel created an avenue for exponentially increased vessel traffic into western
Prince William Sound. In 2014 Prince William Sound may see the 1st annual
Wet Dog Jet Ski Race which is scheduled to run right through the heart of PWS
during the first flush of spring migration. These increasing pressures from
recreational, commercial and legacy incidents underscore the necessity of
preserving some fraction of Prince William Sound in wilderness quality for the
benefit of all in the generations to come.
Prince William Soundkeeper’s Mission is as an advocate to protect the water
quality of Prince William Sound on behalf of all users. In keeping with our
mission Prince William Soundkeeper recommends the following to the U.S. Forest
Service managers:
1. The USFS should recommend all of the Wilderness Study Area (WSA) in western
Prince William Sound as designated wilderness.
2. The USFS should correct its flawed 2002 Wilderness Recommendation, which
excludes important parts of the WSA from the wilderness recommendation.
3. In particular, Knight Island, Glacier Island, Nellie Juan Lake, and the upper
Columbia Glacier basin are all highly valued for their wilderness character and
should be recommended as wilderness as part of the current Forest Plan Revision.
4. Wilderness character in western Prince William Sound is highly valued by
residents and businesses, yet population and other pressures threaten the area's
natural resources. The USFS should fulfill its obligation to manage this area as
wilderness until Congress acts on the Wilderness Study Area.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this vitally important issue for the health and
sustainability of Prince William Sound and the Chugach National Forest.
Sincerely,
Kate McLaughlin, President & Executive Director
Prince William Soundkeeper