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water temperature, turbidity, sedimentation, and disolved oxygen at a 

 number of sites, on the same stream, for a period of years. Given the 

 millions of dollars that tax payers have paid to have the agency come up 

 with answers to the impact of logging on these water quality parameters, the 

 lack of data for these parameters on a single stream system is appalling. 



In contrast, the research NMFS conducted to establish the critical 

 importance of large woody debris, and the irreparable impacts of clearcutting 

 to stream banks, is overwhelmingly accepted. Even Alaska Forest Service 

 biologists approved the NMFS findings when they sat on the prepublication 

 committee for the article the NMFS biologists wrote. 



Delaying the implementation of the NMFS buffer policy on the grounds 

 of inadequate research is therefore disingenuous. Sound scientific research 

 supports buffers and I know of no scientific research that supports a 

 conclusion that buffers are not needed. 



The timber industry argues a record salmon runs in 1989 prove no damage 

 to streams from logging. I take issue with that argument. 



First, the long term and irreparable impacts of logging occur 30-75 years 

 after clearcutting when the old trunks decay and wash out and no new dead 

 fall replaces them. Large scale and wide spread logging has only gone on 

 since the early 60s. We will thus start to feel the impacts of logging from the 

 60s effecting us sometime after the end of this decade. I know of individual 

 streams which were logged that have had decreased runs. 



Second, fisheries managers kept us from fishing our normal four days all 

 during the 70s and into the 80s. The State of Alaska fishery managers 

 increased the number of fish they wanted in the streams for spawning every 

 year. On Prince of Wales Is. they managed to boost escapement from about 

 two up to seven million pink salmon spawners by restricting the fishing 

 effort. 



Thus, our sacrifice insured more salmon escaped our nets to spawn and 

 increased the number of salmon returning during the next cycle. Our 

 sacrifice masked effects of logging. 



Third, we have had unusually warm winters for almost ten years thus 

 increasing survival. 



TESTIMONY OF ALAN STEIN 



