73 



We tried our best. We had a lot of input on it, and, by the way, 

 we had no input from the timber industry on this bill, contrary to 

 what is being said. This was my idea of trying to get the states and 

 the people in the states to have more say-so on Federal laws, 

 835,000,000 acres of land owned by the United States of America, 

 and it produces very little, if anjd^hing, and it is — actually, we have 

 accumulated about 20 million acres of land in the last 20 years. 

 The taxpayers bought it. And it goes back to Kelly's testimony: 

 When does it stop? 



For those that might think the Federal Government can run the 

 land, I wish they would take the time to go to Russia. The worst 

 environmental damage in the world was done by government own- 

 ership, not by tribes, not by states, not by private industry, but by 

 the government. So I really do not want anybody to get caught in 

 that trap the government can do a good job. I do not believe that. 



Marc, you are going to give it for Sylvia? 



Mr. Wheeler. Correct. 



The Chairman. You are up. Marc. 



Mr. Wheeler. Sylvia could not make it. She had an emergency 

 in Tokeen. She really spent a lot of time putting this testimony to- 

 gether. I will just read it. 



STATEMENT OF MARC WHEELER FOR SYLVIA GERAGHTY 



Mr. Wheeler. "My name is Sylvia Geraghty. I live at Tokeen, on 

 the northwest coast of Prince of Wales Island, and I am a lifelong 

 Alaskan. 



"I am opposed to H.R. 2413 for several reasons, but primarily be- 

 cause the State of Alaska is clearly incapable of managing the 

 Tongass. We simply do not have the money, personnel, expertise, 

 nor in the time of declining revenues can we reasonably expect to 

 acquire them. As Congressman Young has stated, large amounts of 

 Southeast Alaska would have to be sold off to private corporations 

 or leased with few restrictions. This land would then no longer be 

 open to the vast majority of Alaskans. Under the terms of the bill, 

 we would stand to lose vitally important protective regulations, 

 such as buffer zones on salmon streams. The health of our top in- 

 dustry, commercial and sport fishing, cannot be forfeited for the 

 sake of an expanded timber industry, which is exactly what this 

 bill is all about: Big corporations, big money, big power, and big 

 greed. It has nothing to do with the wishes of real Alaskans. 



"While I agree that the Forest Service has not always made wise 

 decisions in the past, I do think they are doing a much better job 

 of recognizing and acknowledging fact, to listening to public input, 

 and trying to fulfill their mandate. A number of people have said 

 all along that the present timber industry is not sustainable, and 

 they are now being proven correct. I believe that the inefficiency 

 of the Forest Service has been greatly aggravated in recent years 

 by the meddling of our own congressional delegation. 



"Were the people who lived here before the 50-year contracts 

 ever asked how they felt about having their lives changed forever, 

 our homes surrounded by clearcuts; prime anchorages turned into 

 blowholes; favorite hunting, fishing, trapping and recreational 

 areas devastated; roads everywhere, much of Southeast Alaska 

 turned into a giant logging camp? The boom-and-bust money 



