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each of the area's fish and wildlife. "The best wildlife habitat 

 has been targeted," says the memo. "Important wildlife habitat 

 would be completely removed." Fish and Game termed some of the 

 proposals examples of "the worst possible wildlife management." 



Some of the worst proposals are for: 



Nutkwa — cut by half; virtually all of the main river watershed 



and tributaries are removed. 



Kadashan — cut by more than half; key habitat and riparian zones 



eliminated. 



Chuck — cut by more than half; almost all the river is excluded. 



Calder-Holbrook — cut by more than half; Mt. Calder and Mt. 



Holbrook excluded from proposal. 



Trap Bay — cut by half; core area removed. 



Karta — cut by more than half; important tributary valleys 



removed . 



Lisianski and Upper Hoonah Sound — cut by 25%; removed is all of 



Finger Creek, plus the Lisianski River valley, Upper Hoonah Sound 



valleys, and Patterson Bay valleys. 



Idaho Inlet — key riparian zone along the Trail River gutted. 



The new changes were justified by noting that buffers would 

 protect the streams. There are several problems with this. 

 First, the Southeast Conference position does not include 

 adoption of no-cut buffer zones. Second, buffers are a minimum 

 management standard for retaining salmon habitat in areas that 

 are logged. They do not protect habitat important for wildlife. 

 water guality. recreation, and subsistence; nor do thev maintain 

 the integrity of important watersheds. Therefore, buffers cannot 

 substitute for protection of entire watersheds . 



Frankly, it would be more honest for the Southeast Conference to 

 exclude the areas entirely, because gutting these riparian, high 

 volume, old-growth critical habitat areas destroys the integrity 

 of these watersheds. 



What was the response to the new proposal? 



The one week official written comment period was established to 

 seek the views of Southeast Alaska communities. The results 

 were: 



Favoring the changes : 



The mill towns of Wrangell and Metlakatla. 



Opposing the changes : 



Juneau, Petersburg, Hydaburg, Tenakee Springs, Pelican, 

 Elfin Cove, Pt. Baker, Kupreanof, Port Alexander, 

 Craig, Thome Bay, and Gustavus. 



