A grand mix of Alaska yellow cedar, western hemlock and Sitka spruce forms the canopy that shelters wildlife species and a diverse forest floor of temperate rainforest plants in the magnificent 52,971-acre Neka Mountain Roadless Area on Chichagof Island. The highly productive salmon streams in this roadless area support vibrant populations of coastal brown bears.
Equally valued for its important cultural attributes, this roadless area contains Neka Bay-part of the Hoonah Tlingit's traditional territory and a source of prized subsistence resources that include salmon, trout, wild berries, shellfish, crab and beach and forest greens. The area is also a favorite spot for recreation, including sport fishing.
The Forest Service proposes to allow logging north of Neka Bay in the very heart of Neka Mountain Roadless Area. The Otter Lake timber sale would have significant adverse impacts on Neka Mountain's ecological and cultural resources and would disrupt one of the few remaining intact wildlands in the heavily logged Port Frederick area. The Hoonah Indian Association adamantly opposes this sale on traditional-use lands, and Hoonah residents turned out in force at a Forest Service hearing to request that the agency abandon the timber sale.
