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bill, designating 5.4 million acres and locking away one-third of the 

 timber base, was signed into law in 1980. It was assumed that a deal 

 was a deal, and the contract was binding on both sides. Such was not 

 the case. The purpose of our fight now is to maintain the viability of 

 Alaska communities whose lifeblood is the resources produced on 

 public lands. The legislation before us today is nothing more than an 

 attempt to pull the federal rug out from under Southeast Alaskans. 



Three legislative measures addressing management of the 

 Tongass forest are before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources 

 Committee at this time. My bill repeals ANILCA Section 705 

 eliminating the $40 million direct-appropriation for the Tongass 

 timber supply fund and the requirement that the Forest Service supply 

 4.5 billion board feet of timber per decade to the dependent industry. 

 My bill attempts to maintain a viable industry by directing the Forest 

 Service to keep enough land in multiple use so that it could provide 

 4.5 billion board feet to the industry in a ten year period if the 

 industry should require it. The amount of timber actually sold and cut 

 each year would be determined by the appropriations process and 

 demand, the same as on any other national forest. 



Senator Wirth's bill is designed, in my opinion, to seriously 

 cripple the timber industry in my State. His bill, S. 346. repeals 

 section 705 of ANILCA reneging on an agreement crafted by this 

 Committee in 1980, mandates termination of two 50 year timber 

 contracts which are vital to the economy of Southeast Alaska and puts 

 1.8 million acres of additional valuable forest lands off-limits to 

 multiple use management. His bill does nothing to maintain the 

 viability of the timber industry. Should this measure become law, it 

 would reduce the sustained yield of the Tongass forest by more than 

 half and abrogate contracts resulting in a potential liability to the 

 United States running into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Not to 

 mention the United States walking away from a commitment made to 

 the people of Southeast Alaska — a commitment that families, 

 businesses and communities have relied upon for 40 years. 



The Tongass wilderness bill passed by the House (H.R. 987) goes 

 further to drive the timber industry out of Southeast Alaska. This bill 

 designates 1.8 million acres of wilderness in 23 areas which are, in 

 many cases, areas critical to the viability of local logging communities. 

 Wilderness will also preclude mining and the development of many 

 critical transportation and utility corridors — freezing the community 

 development of Southeast Alaska. Much of the mineral potential of 

 Southeast Alaska has not been discovered. Much exploration work 

 needs to be done. Virtually all of the communities in Southeast Alaska 

 lie isolated within the Tongass National Forest. The elimination of 

 transportation and utility links between communities will have a 

 devastating effect on the quality of life in these communities in the 

 future. 



