Tongass National Forest:
Administration of Two Long-Term Alaskan Timber Contracts
RCED-90-87: Published: Feb 21, 1990. Publicly Released: Mar 26, 1990.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
Contact:
(202) 512-5138
contact@gao.gov
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
youngc1@gao.gov
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO assessed two long-term timber contracts in the Tongass National Forest, focusing on: (1) timber harvested under the two contracts; (2) timber deleted from the contractors' operating plans; (3) backlogged timber; and (4) Forest Service management of the Tongass timber program.
GAO found that: (1) the Service did comply with all of its internal controls for documenting harvested timber volumes, which resulted in inaccurate figures; (2) it could not verify the amount of timber deleted from operating plans because the Service's documentation and records were incomplete; and (3) the Service understated the volume of the timber backlog by 9 million board feet. GAO also found that the Service: (1) has expanded its use of log accountability audits; (2) limited the volume of timber harvested each year; (3) proposed or made contract changes addressing deletions; and (4) implemented two systems to improve its documentation of timber sales program activities.
Recommendations for Executive Action
Status: Closed - Implemented
Comments: Forest Service Region 10 headquarters is monitoring forest supervisors log accountability reviews to ensure that the required reviews are being conducted.
Recommendation: The Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Chief, Forest Service, to ensure that, at the Tongass National Forest, forest supervisors conduct log accountability audits at each district office every 2 years, as required by Forest Service policy.
Agency Affected: Department of Agriculture
Status: Closed - Implemented
Comments: The Forest Service's record of decision for final environmental impact statements for the current 5-year plans on the two long-term sales contracts involved have had language included requiring documentation of changes in cutting units.
Recommendation: The Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Chief, Forest Service, to ensure that, at the Tongass National Forest, the information needed to document when and why timber sale deletions occur is accurately recorded in the agency's records.
Agency Affected: Department of Agriculture
Explore the full database of GAO's Open Recommendations
»
Mar 1, 2021
-
Man-Made Chemicals and Potential Health Risks:
EPA Has Completed Some Regulatory-Related Actions for PFASGAO-21-37: Published: Jan 27, 2021. Publicly Released: Mar 1, 2021.
Jan 22, 2021
-
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:
Information on the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability ProgramGAO-21-240R: Published: Jan 22, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 22, 2021.
Jan 19, 2021
-
Chemical Assessments:
Annual EPA Survey Inconsistent with Leading Practices in Program ManagementGAO-21-156: Published: Dec 18, 2020. Publicly Released: Jan 19, 2021.
Jan 15, 2021
-
Environmental Liabilities:
NASA's Reported Financial Liabilities Have Grown, and Several Factors Contribute to Future UncertaintiesGAO-21-205: Published: Jan 15, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 15, 2021.
Jan 13, 2021
-
Nuclear Waste:
Congressional Action Needed to Clarify a Disposal Option at West Valley Site in New YorkGAO-21-115: Published: Jan 13, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 13, 2021.
Jan 7, 2021
-
Hanford Cleanup:
DOE's Efforts to Close Tank Farms Would Benefit from Clearer Legal Authorities and CommunicationGAO-21-73: Published: Jan 7, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 7, 2021.
Dec 18, 2020
-
Drinking Water:
EPA Could Use Available Data to Better Identify Neighborhoods at Risk of Lead ExposureGAO-21-78: Published: Dec 18, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 18, 2020. -
Recycling:
Building on Existing Federal Efforts Could Help Address Cross-Cutting ChallengesGAO-21-87: Published: Dec 18, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 18, 2020.
Dec 9, 2020
-
Environmental Protection:
Action Needed to Ensure EPA's Enforcement and Compliance Activities Support Its Strategic GoalsGAO-21-82: Published: Dec 9, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 9, 2020. -
Oil and Gas:
Onshore Competitive and Noncompetitive Lease RevenuesGAO-21-138: Published: Nov 19, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 9, 2020.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here