299 



has been more intimately involved in the development of the 

 TLMP revision than any other agency outside the U.S. Forest Serv- 

 ice. 



We have had three or four years of very intense involvement in 

 that process, and I would like to say, without elaborating if I could, 

 that we have identified in the analysis of the management situa- 

 tion, both preliminary and technical, some very serious flaws, very 

 serious gaps in information and data, upon which I would be very 

 hesitant to base a management plan for the Tongass. 



So the question then arises, I guess, whether or not to wait until 

 that can be fixed. I personally do not believe it can be fixed in 

 three months. Maybe we are looking at waiting a lot longer than 

 that. 



So the other side of that coin is then why go ahead and adopt 

 legislation that would purportedly "fix" the situation still in the 

 absence of information? And the only thought that I had to offer 

 up on that, I suppose, is that as a natural resource manager or 

 wildlife manager we are normally trained to try to manage re- 

 sources in a conservative fashion in the absence of information. 



I do not know how familiar you are with, for example, northern 

 Chichagof Island, but things are proceeding very, very rapidly 

 there under the status quo. Over the last two years I have flown 

 that area periodically on about a three or four month basis, and 

 the changes are very rapid, profound, and they are having some 

 impacts I think that by the end of this winter we v/ill be able to 

 quantify, that are very serious for deer, very serious for brown bear 

 populations. 



All I am suggesting is that we are foreclosing options, I believe, 

 by forestalling a process into the indefinite future in the hope that 

 these very critical problems that we have identified in TLMP, some 

 of them mentioned by Mr. Metcalf, which I agree with, are re- 

 solved. 



Senator McClure. I understand that point. Even the resolution 

 of some of those problems in the short term has also short term 

 and long term consequences on other values. I do not blame you for 

 being concerned about it and trying to preserve the area of your 

 responsibility. 



But there are other people that look at it entirely different and 

 they see the tradeoffs that are going to affect them in the long 

 term and the short term and say: Hey, do not change things until 

 you know what you are going to do to us. 



Dr. Anderson. Yes, I understand that, and being that principally 

 the mandate that I have is to manage the fisheries and wildlife re- 

 sources of the State, naturally I speak with that bias. 



Senator McClure. Yes, I understand that and I think it is fair, 

 and I do not blame you. I think that is your responsibility, just as 

 the responsibility of other people, for whatever reason, is to speak 

 from the standpoint of their point of view. 



We try to sort all of that out, and I am trying to help in that 

 process. 



Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I will submit the balance 

 of my questions for responses in writing. 



Senator Murkowski. Thank you very much, Senator McClure. I 

 very much appreciate your attendance. It is regrettable that we 



