Leask Lakes
By Jack Lee and Gary Souza
EDITOR, Daily News:
We are writing on behalf of the Tongass Sportfishing Association,
Chapter 573 of Trout Unlimited. We understand that Alaska Mental
Health Trust Land Office has issued a request for proposal for timber
harvest on the Leask Lakes property.
TSA long has recognized that the Leask Lakes system supports important
sockeye and coho salmon, steelhead, Dolly Varden and cutthroat trout
habitat. The low elevation sockeye run is an especially rare feature.
We also see this area as an important wildlife corridor, with a
vital deer wintering area. In addition to habitat and recreation
considerations, this area is important to the Ketchikan community
as a transportation corridor and link to the Shelter Cove road system.
This system would offer residents more than 80 miles of additional
roads with access to numerous lake systems and Carroll Inlet. It
represents this community's greatest potential for increasing road-accessible
recreation areas.
Because of the above and the overwhelming support
for Leask Lake from Ketchikan residents, we lobbied to block the
selection of this parcel by Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority.
Of the few parcels for which TSA registered formal opposition to
MHT selection, only Leask Lakes was deeded to MHT. Now that the
Trust Land Office owns Leask Lakes and is mandated to manage it
to maximize revenue, we feel it would be fiscally irresponsible
and legally indefensible to disregard
diverse economic potential. The potential economic value of the
fish and wildlife habitat, scenic recreational areas and undisturbed
wetlands must be acknowledged. We urge the trust's resource management
committee to work with the Leask Users Coalition so that these vital
features may be protected for the residents of Ketchikan and managed
for the economic benefit of the Trust.
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly and the KGB
Planning Commission's recent resolutions and letters of support
from the Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce and others are evidence of
community support for the Leask Users Coalition's goals. We urge
the Trust Land Office to seriously consider the potential revenue
of the Leask Users Coalition proposal. It is also a viable alternative
in an era of uncertain timber markets. It is also an invaluable
opportunity for the Trust to be a good neighbor and give due consideration
to the needs of the Ketchikan community. .
GARY SOUZA, President
JACK LEE, Vice President
Tongass Sportfishing Association
