104 



The Tongass Timber Dynasty Bills: A Deal Loulslana-Paclflc Can't Refuse 



Ixiuisiaaa-Pacific Qjqxxation (L-P) has threatened to shut down its Ketchikan Pulp Company (KPQ 

 mill unless it gets major ooncessioos from Congreu. The Alaska Delegatioo has responded in spader. 



S. 1877 and H.R. 3659 go far beyond a "contract extension." "these Identical bills replace the 

 current KPC timber contract, let to expire In 2004, with a new, 23-year monopoly contract 

 itartlng right now and continuing through 2019, with the Intention to continue In perpetuity. 

 They give unprecedented government concessions to one of the richest forest products companies in 

 the world-aod a chronic pollution lawbreaker-while gutting the 1990 Tongass Timber Reform Act 

 (TTRA), endangering the future of the Tongass National Forest aod all those who depettd on it. 

 They would make the Amerkaa public pay to itop a m^or corporate polluter from polluting. 



These bilb are not the Governor of Alaska '■ bilb, and they do not contain the ipeclflc 

 condltlooi be laid dowi for supporting a KPC contract exteDsk>a. 



The Bills; 



• Mandate increased cUarcultine. reganiless of impacts to am other Toneass resource . The 

 bais force the Forest Service to provide an avenge of 1925 mOlton board feet (mmbf) yearly to 

 KPC, and require KPC lo cut it, regardless of impacts to commercial and sport fishing, hunting, 

 subsistence, tourism, recrtation, fish and wildliji habitat. This is 40 mmbf higher than KPCs 

 15-year avenge annual cut of lS9mn)bf. This means a mandate for a total of nearfy 150,000 

 acres of clearcuts~U9,0OO football fitids ofcUarcuts, or 5^00 football fields ofcUarcuts ± 

 lear -in the heart of the last ttmperate rainfortst. 



• Guanntee huge imouots of timber to keep KPC in business, at a profit. ptmiaoetittT . 



• Allow L-P to replace the pulp mill with a different facility using pulp logs as a oompooent,even if it 

 provides fewer jobs-and guarantee that no matter what kind ofmiU KPC decides to run, the 

 Forest Service must provide KPC timber at a rat« that does not place the company at a 

 'competitive disadvantate ' to a similar mill in the PacifU Northwest. Tlib coald fore* the 

 Forest Service t^ mU Toogast old -growth trees for the price of PNW raw materials such as 

 recycled newxpapcn or ta wmU waste~or even give refUnds to Iceep KPC competitive. Thb 

 gnprccedentcd, open -coded govemmcDt subsidy will cost Americao taxpayers biOloos. 



• Extend the current contnct term by 15 years and require the oontnct to include a 23-year master 

 plan, schcduliog KPC logging through 2019. Once in place, the Forest Service cannot change this 

 plan unless L^P agrees. The Forest Service must prepare this binding 23-year schedule within 45 

 days, without public involvement. The Tongass Land Management Plan must conform with the 

 KPC plan. This means the KPC contract will control all future Forest Service Tongass planning. 



• Diminalc the Forest Service's right lo terminalc the contract for environmenul damage, or modify 

 the contract to reflect new environmental regulations, unless L^P agrees. But, if the Forest Service 

 and I^P agree, they can change (or worsen) the contract terms without Congressional approval. 



• Eliminate the TTRA requirement for IQ>C to pay rates comparable to those paid by independent 

 Tongass timber purchasers arvd give KPC quality and price advantages over all other purchasers. 



For further information, contact the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC) 

 Juneau, AK: 907-586-6942 Washington, DC: 202-5440475 



