156 



Alaskans support legislated lands protection 

 in the Tongass National Forest 



Alaskans strongly support protection of key fish and wildlife habitat areas by law -- not by 

 temporary deferrals. Alaskans have established an impressive record of support for legislated 

 protection over the past 4 years, including Senate field hearings held in April 1989 in Sitka and 

 Ketchikan. 



Southeast Alaskans supporting legislated protection of key areas include: 



*• The 15 communities of Hydaburg, Craig, Juneau, Elfin Cove, Klawock, Pelican, 

 Petersburg, Point Baker, Sitka, Tenakee Springs, Yakutat, Port Alexander, 

 Gustavus, Kupreanof, and Edna Bay; 



*'• Governor of Alaska (official position of the State of Alaska); 



** Tongass Tourism and Recreation Business Associate (representing over 100 

 tourism and outdoor businesses operating in the Tongass), Alaskans for 

 Responsible Resource Management, and the Southeast Regional Council of Fish 

 and Game Advisory Committees (from every community in Southeast Alaska); 



** United Paperworkers International Union Local 962 of Sitka; 



•• Native organizations -- Central Council of Tlingit-Haida Indian Tribes, Sealaska 

 Regional Native Corporation, Cape Fox Native Corporation, Hoonah Indian 

 Association, and Alaska Native Brotherhood; 



•• All the region's commercial fishermen's organizations — Alaska Trollers 



Association, Petersburg Vessel Owners, United Southeast Gillnetters Association, 

 Southeast Seine Boat Owners and Operators, Southern Southeast Regional 

 Aquaculture Association, and Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture 

 Association; plus the statewide United Fishermen of Alaska; 



•• Conservation groups -- Sitka Conservation Society, Pelican Forestry Council, 

 Lynn Canal Conservation, Friends of Berners Bay, Alaskan Society of American 

 Forest Dwellers, Juneau Sierra Club, Narrows Conservation Coalition, Friends of 

 Glacier Bay, Tongass Conservation Society, False Island-Kook Lake Council, 

 Wrangell Resource Council, Taku Conservation Society, Alaska Women in Trees, 

 Juneau Audubon Society, Yakutat Resource Conservation Council, and SEACC. 



Only 30% of the high value fish and wildlife habitat in the Tongass was granted permanent 

 protection by the 1980 Alaska Lands Act. Many million dollar salmon streams vital to the 

 commercial fishing industry, prime tourism destinations, and important sport and subsistence 

 hunting areas are currently on the chopping block. 



The House-passed bill, H.R. 987, gives lasting protection to the key fish and wildlife habitat 

 areas of great concern to Southeast Alaskans while still keeping an adequate supply of timber 

 available for harvest. The Wilderness provision of H.R. 987 only reduces the amount of 

 potential scheduled timber supply by 11% — from the present 450 million board feet per year 

 to 400 million. Since the average sawlog volume harvested from 1980-1989 was 295 million 

 board feet per year, this leaves over 100 million board feet per year of timber supply above 

 this average still available for harvest, even permitting an increase in existing Tongass- 

 dependent timber jobs. 



(Soutbcut Alukt Conxrvition Council (SEACC), phon. 203-647-0141) 



