420 



appearance that this may have been the case. While some of the 

 communities in which we operate schools center around logging 

 operations of one of the large pulp mills and can accurately be described 

 as temporary in nature, others (in addition to the cities and non-logging 

 communities mentioned above) are long term and increasingly 

 permanent in nature, with state land selections and incorporations as 

 cities occurring with greater frequency. 



While I have no problem with the Southeast Conference committee 

 members making sure that persons and communities with strong views 

 and positions were contacted and fairly represented, the concern I have 

 is that those who either have not been vocal about their positions or 

 were known to have a different position were not sought out for 

 comment last year by the Southeast Conference committee members on 

 an equal basis. 



In conclusion, several things are evident: 



1 . The claims being made that last year's Southeast Conference process 

 and position were fair and representative are simply not true. It is 

 clear that a systematic effort to contact and get representative 

 information from the appropriate communities within the boundaries of 

 this school district did not occur, if anything, l would say that a 

 systematic effort occurred to exclude our communities. 



2. The one Alaska native village, and its village corporation, in this 

 district were not contacted last year. It may be that a deliberate 

 attempt wae mad* by tha ftnuthea&t Onnffsrenee to exclude Alaska 

 Natives at the local village level from its process. 



3. The Southeast Conference is not necessarily an appropriate forum for 

 achieving an Alaska position on this issue. Due to the complexity of the 

 issue and the effect of the outcome on the entire region as well as the 

 state as a whole, it seems that the Alaska position should have been 

 forged through the offices of the Governor, with appropriate Input from 

 the legislature, communities in the Tongass National Forest, and the 



