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the communities while working long and hard in developing this 

 consensus position," said Ralph Gregory, Tongass Committee 

 chairman in February, 1989. "I believe it is a fair, reasonable, 

 and critical position." 



The full board adopted the committee's proposal. "The set aside 

 of 12 areas is of great import to many communities and while it 

 somewhat reduces the timber base, is essential to our position," 

 wrote the Southeast Conference in its official position statement 

 of March 10, 1989. 



What was included in the original position? 



The final position had five key points: 1) "Up to" 4.5 billion 

 board feet per decade of timber could be offered ... 2) An 

 economic diversification fund would be established; 3) An 

 intensive timber management fund would be established; 4) 

 Undesignated lands could be traded; and 5) 12 areas would be 

 permanently set aside from logging (to be managed under the 

 Forest Service's current LUD II management prescription). 



The Tongass Committee and Conference board agreed that a change 

 in one of the five key points would negate the entire position. 

 While the timber industry opposed both the "up to" language and 

 the set-asides, the Conference refused to make any changes until 

 recently. It is the land set-asides that have now been changed. 



Built upon community recommendations, the original position • 

 proposed that 12 areas be set aside from logging and logging 

 roads. Selection of these areas was primarily based on their 

 importance to communities for commercial fishing, tourism, 

 subsistence hunting and fishing, sport hunting and fishing, and 

 recreation. 



Each proposed area was established primarily on a watershed basis 

 and specifically identified by Forest Service VCUs. VCUs (Value 

 Comparison Units) are the fundamental mapping unit for land 

 allocation and analysis in the existing Tongass Land Management 

 Plan. There are 867 VCUs in the Tongass. Each is a distinct, 

 definable unit, color coded on the maps along with its own number 

 (contrary to recent charges that the boundaries of these areas 

 were vague) . In the few cases where partial VCUs were included, 

 definable boundaries and acreages were used. 



Who supported the original Conference position? 



Four communities — Juneau, Petersburg, Wrangell, and Sitka — 

 took official positions, either by letter or resolution, 

 supporting the original Southeast Conference position. Juneau's 



