318 



So your representative group is a group made up of groups, as 

 opposed to public input? 



Mr. Metcalf. That is right, that is right, and these groups are 

 well represented in the communities scattered throughout South- 

 east Alaska. So we feel it is cross-section representation. 



Senator Murkowski. It is a cross-section, but within a group? 



Mr. Metcalf. Certainly. 



Senator Murkowski. In other words, that group has a particular 

 point of view. 



Mr. Metcalf. We have also identified in there, as they did in the 

 first go-around of the Southeast Conference, that there were a 

 number of areas important to communities, and so there has been 

 community input into that. 



Senator Murkowski. Through the participating organizations? 



Mr. Metcalf. That is right. 



Senator Murkowski. The House of Representatives, it looks to 

 us, pretty much accepted your language without any changes. Is 

 that a fair statement? 



Mr. Metcalf. I think that is a fair statement. 



Senator Murkowski. I think you have got some good friends over 

 there. 



On page 22, you charge that the problems with the Tongass were 

 created by political dimensions and the failure of the Forest Serv- 

 ice to honor its commitments. What political decisions did you have 

 in mind? 



Mr. Metcalf. Well, I think at the end of ANILCA when Section 

 705 was crafted, that was certainly a political decision. 



Senator Murkowski. In what sense? 



Mr. Metcalf. In the sense that it was done in a room with a 

 number of people who sat down and said: Well, we need to have a 

 mandated timber harvest and we need to have money. That cer- 

 tainly was a political decision. It was not part of any planning 

 process. 



Senator Murkowski. So you would compare that to the conversa- 

 tions that we have had with the House as far as the environment is 

 concerned? I mean, that is how the process goes. 



Mr. Metcalf. I do not understand your question. 



Senator Murkowski. Well, Mr. Miller and I have had several 

 conversations about trying to reach a resolution on this whole 

 thing, and if you are saying that you are critical of the previous 

 political dimension, as you stated on page 22, being the problems of 

 the Tongass created by political dimensions, are we not kind of re- 

 peating it? 



Mr. Metcalf. Yes, I would say that the decision has to be a polit- 

 ical decision. The problems were created by political decisions in 

 the first place. 



In addition to that, as you pointed out, I said here that the 

 Forest Service has not followed through with its promises, and I 

 wish Senator McClure were still here, but the promises that were 

 laid out in ANILCA and a deal is a deal, I agree with that. A deal 

 is a deal. 



But the deal was not followed. There were a number of promises 

 made there, and the only promise that was really upheld was that 

 of providing timber. 



