Species

The commercial forests of the Interior are composed of pure stands and mixtures of white spruce, black spruce, paper birch, quaking aspen, and balsam poplar.

Physical Setting

Approximately 85 percent of the Tanana Valley State Forest is located within 20 miles of the state highway system1. Eighteen communities adjacent to the State Forest total approximately 83,000 residents, with the majority located in the Fairbanks North Star Borough.

The climate of the Tanana Basin is one of the coldest and warmest areas of the state. Extreme temperatures range from minus 66 degrees to 96 degrees Fahrenheit. Mean temperature in Fairbanks for July is 62 degrees Fahrenheit while mean temperature in January is minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit. Precipitation averages 10.4 inches, with August being the wettest month (1.86 inches). Snowfall averages 65.1 inches with November and December being the months which receive the most snowfall (13.1 and 12 inches). Generally, frost-free days occur from the first part of June to the end of August. Sunlight hours reach a maximum on June 21st of 21 hours, 13 minutes and reach a minimum on December 21st of 3 hours, 44 minutes.

Harvesting activities can occur year round with winter activities focused in areas that require winter road and ice bridge infrastructure to access. These areas are generally located in river floodplains and in areas of permafrost. Upland sites can be accessed by a more traditional forest road system with main line and spur road development.