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After a decade of lawsuits and amendments, the new Tongass Land Management Plan was released earlier this year. But it won't be final until 14 appeals have been answered.

Timber advocates, miners, environmentalists, Alaska Native corporations, local government and commerce groups - including the city of Juneau and the Juneau Chamber of Commerce - appealed by the May 15 deadline.

None of the appeal points were unexpected, said Phil Sammon, Tongass spokesman.

"We feel confident in the research and analysis that we've done that everything will be upheld," he said.

Tongass forest officials must address all the appeal points and send evidence by July 14 to U.S. Forest Service Chief Gail Kimbell. She must decide whether the appeals are valid by Nov. 11.

Many appeals criticized the plan's analysis of timber demand, which the Forest Service is required to meet with its timber sales.

Alaska Forest Association, a timber industry group that has seen 90 percent of Southeast's timber jobs disappear in the past 15 years, said the plan doesn't offer enough wood and what is offered won't be cost-effective to cut. The association also said the plan overemphasized conservation.

"The future of the timber industry and AFA is literally dependent upon the outcome of this appeal," said one appeal.

The AFA was joined by Southeast Conference, plus local governments from Ketchikan, Juneau, Wrangell, Craig, Coffman Cove, Prince of Wales and several chambers of commerce.

Polar-opposite claims came from wilderness advocates such as the Alaska Wilderness League, Audubon Alaska and the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council: They said the timber demand was sharply overestimated.

Those and other environmentalists' appeals said the plan would allow logging in important fish and wildlife habitat areas, or otherwise endanger habitat.

The National Resources Defense Council said the plan was wrong to say the Clinton administration-imposed roadless rule, which severely restricts building roads in federal forests, doesn't apply in the Tongass.

Kootznoowoo Inc., the Alaska Native corporation of Angoon, and John Sandor, a former state regional forester, said the plan didn't provide "social justice" for the rural Native communities that are seeing hard times these days.

"The Tongass was intended to create the type of wealth and security known from time immemorial by my people," Sandor quoted Walter Soboleff, a Kootznoowoo board member.

They sought more access to timber and other forest resources, as well as more planning for a hydroelectric intertie.

An appeal from Sealaska Corp. centered on which and how many acres Southeast's regional Alaska Native corporation will be able to choose from the Tongass to fulfill its entitlement under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

Sealaska is the largest private landowner in the region. While Sealaska has diversified in recent years, the company's early growth was based largely on timber production in the region.

One appeal had nothing to do with timber.

Vancouver, British Columbia-based Niblack Mining Corp. appealed the plan's protection of certain watersheds near its gold and copper mine prospects, about 45 miles southeast of Craig.

"Prospects for development of a mine are increasingly likely," the company wrote, saying that the "wild river" designation was unnecessary and would harm the new mine's development.

• Contact reporter Kate Golden at 523-2276 or e-mail kate.golden@juneauempire.com.