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No More Wood Cutting By Non-Shareholders, says Choggiung Ltd

The Alaska Native village corporation for Dillingham, Ekuk, and Portage Creek says "diminishing supplies of dry standing wood" prompted the change.

DILLINGHAM:  At their June 8th meeting, the Choggiung Limited board of directors voted to restrict all wood cutting on the corporation's lands to shareholders only, marking a shift in policy that had since 2010 allowed non-shareholders to harvest wood after purchasing a permit.

Additionally, the board voted to restrict shareholders to harvesting wood on corporation land for personal use only, meaning the wood cannot be commercially sold to others.

The board's June vote to enact the restrictions was not unanimous, according to one person present.

The staff of Choggiung Limited, and the president of the board of directors have declined requests for comment about the changed policies.

In a press release issued Wednesday, the corporation said the changes are in response to "diminishing supplies of standing wood and increasing harvest efforts on Choggiung owned land".

The policy changes are in effect immediately, and will be remain in place for the upcoming winter season and beyond, according to the release.