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Also, in order to minimize any disturbance of the Chuck River, we 

 have avoided bridging the Chuck River and are yarding logs over a 

 half mile using an expensive aerial cable system. The Alaska 

 Department of Fish and Game has recognized and praised these 

 voluntary fishery protection measures. 



I would also like to point out that Goldbelt has two 

 significant salmon streams on our own Hobart Bay property where 

 we have been logging since the early 1980* s. Alaska Department 

 of Fish and Game surveys of these streams show the same annual 

 trends and variations in pink salmon escapements as on the Chuck 

 River. There are no indications our logging activity has had any 

 impact on these two salmon streams. 



In closing, Mr. Chairman, let me emphasize that no one 

 should be under any illusions about the restrictive impact of 

 wilderness areas near privately-owned lands. Goldbelt owns a 

 small tract of land at Echo Cove about 40 miles north of Juneau. 

 A four-mile strip of its property would be abutted by the Berners 

 Bay Wilderness Area also proposed in the House bill. Until last 

 summer we had been in negotiations with a mining company to 

 create a transportation corridor and other developments on our 

 property in support of the Kensington mine reopening across 

 Berners Bay from Echo Cove. When the mining company became aware 

 of the proposed Berners Bay Wilderness Area, it terminated 

 negotiations with us. It knows full well, as we do, that any 



