ABSTRACT
This chapter is a condensed version of a report that was prepared for the U.S. Congress, which is available from the primary author. We studied the effectiveness of current procedures for protecting fish habitat in the Tongass National Forest. The resulting information was used to determine whether any additional measures are needed to protect anadromous fish populations. The multidisciplinary study team consisted of fishery biologists and hydrologists from the Forest Service management and research branches, a fishery biologist from the National Marine Fisheries Service, and a habitat biologist from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The results of this study indicate that, while current procedures have clearly improved the treatment of anadromous fish streams and provided improved protection for stream habitat compared to previous procedures, the existing procedures are not entirely effective in protecting fish habitat or in precluding increased risk to some anadromous fish stocks over the long term. It was also concluded that additional protection for fish habitat is needed to reduce risk to fish habitat quality in the Tongass National Forest. An ecosystem approach is recommended for evaluating and protecting watershed processes and functions at the landscape scale as a precursor to timber sales and other management activities that could significantly influence fish habitat. A broadened perspective for conservation of fresh-water salmon habitat is also needed to provide for sustainable salmon fisheries.
