The U.S. Forest Service has approved the Muri Creek Stream Restoration Project, located 45 miles northeast of Sitka on Chichagof Island. The project aims to restore an area impacted by clear-cutting in the 1960s, which has suffered from erosion and altered flow due to two storms in 2020. The plan involves using heavy equipment to place around 150 young-growth trees and root wads along the stream banks to help restore natural floodplain processes and promote vegetation growth. Additionally, the trees used for the project will be sourced from dense new-growth stands near Corner Creek, improving deer habitat through thinning. The project is classified as a categorical exclusion, indicating minimal environmental impact, and will begin tree sourcing in May, with restoration occurring in June and July. Similar restoration efforts have been conducted across the Tongass National Forest.
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