54 



Senator Murkowski. I again thank you, Mr. Chairman, for 

 giving Alaskans an opportunity to express their opinions. We look 

 forward to hearing their views. 



The Chairman. Thank you very much, Senator Murkowski. 



Our first witness is Patricia Kearney, who is Acting Assistant 

 Secretary for Natural Resources of the Department of Agriculture. 

 She is accompanied by: George Leonard, Associate Chief of the 

 Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture; Mike Barton, who 

 is Regional Forester of the Alaska Region in Juneau; David R. Gib- 

 bons, Regional Fisheries Biologist, from Juneau, Alaska. 



Also to come to the table at this time would be: Dr. James V. 

 Brooks, Deputy Director of the Alaska Region for the National 

 Marine Fisheries Service in Juneau. That is Department of Com- 

 merce. He is accompanied by K. Koski, who is Fisheries Biologist at 

 Auke Bay Laboratory, National Marine Fisheries Service, in Auke 

 Bay, Alaska. 



Ms. Kearney. 



STATEMENT OF PATRICIA KEARNEY, ACTING ASSISTANT SECRE- 

 TARY FOR NATURAL RESOURCES, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUL- 

 TURE, ACCOMPANIED BY GEORGE LEONARD, ASSOCIATE 

 CHIEF, FOREST SERVICE; AND MIKE BARTON, REGIONAL FOR- 

 ESTER, ALASKA REGION, FOREST SERVICE 



Ms. Kearney. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: 



Thank you for the invitation to appear before you today to ex- 

 press the Administration's views on H.R. 987, the Tongass Timber 

 Reform Act. 



With me today, as you mentioned, are: George Leonard, Associ- 

 ate Chief of the Forest Service; and Mike Barton, from Alaska. 



Alaska is a very special place to all Americans and we in the Ad- 

 ministration are very sensitive to the need for wise conservation 

 and multiple use of the State's precious and unique resources. 



As you know, the National Forest Management Act of 1976 re- 

 quired, one, the preparation of land management plans; and two, 

 that these plans be revised periodically to accommodate changes in 

 management needs. The revision of the Tongass forest plan is the 

 nation's first revised plan, and it is scheduled to be completed in 

 draft form in the next few months. 



This draft will outline proposed changes by displaying a number 

 of management options. These options should reflect any signifi- 

 cant changes in public interest and any significant economic con- 

 siderations which have occurred over the past ten years since the 

 first plan was actually put together and implemented. 



The Forest Service has spent about $7 million during the past 

 two years working on this revision. It is a multi-disciplinary effort 

 and it will reflect the work not only of the Forest Service scientific 

 and management team, but also the work of interested citizens, 

 agencies, and interest groups. 



We feel that the revised plan will provide much better informa- 

 tion upon which to make important land use and management de- 

 cisions that are required to maintain the quality of the forest re- 

 sources. 



