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Governor Tony Knowles Page 4 August 9, 1995 



"I just wanted for the record to point that out so everybody understands it, that there is no 

 provision in the legislation that says that mills are going to be closed down. They will compete like 

 other mills but there is nothing that says that they will be closed down." Id. at 66 (statement of Sen. 

 Wirth). 



"The timber industry is also an important source of renewable resource income in southeast 

 Alaska and always will be. Our interest is not to put our fiiends and neighbors out of work but rather 

 we want the Forest Service to provide adequate protection of fish rearing and spawning habitat 

 which is critical to the survival of the fishing industry." Id- at 112 (statement of Kate Graham, 

 UFA). 



"We are not asking that the timber industry be done away with as we feel it is also important 

 and vital to the economy of southeast Alaska but we want multiple-use protection." M- at 115 

 (statement of Kay Andrew, United Southeast Alaska Gillnetters Association). 



"Senate Bill 346 would not weaken the timber industry, but rather provides the best for all. 

 The legislation provides protection for areas valuable to the wilderness recreation and visitor 

 industry but it still provides latitude for increased timber harvest." Id. at 131 (statement of Dale 

 Pihlman, ADFG). 



"1 can say that the Tongass Timber Refonn Act will not effect Tongass timber dependent 

 employment." Id. at 208 (statement of Joseph R. Mehrkens, Southeast Alaska Natural Resources 

 Center). 



"Under the Tongass Timber Reform Act there will be a sufficient timber supply to meet 

 timber demands into the foreseeable future." M- at 213 (statement of Joseph R. Mehrkens, 

 Southeast Alaska Natural Resources Center). 



"Senator Wirth's bill would remove fifty million board feet a year from the Tongass timber 

 base for the protection of other forest values such as tourism, commercial fishing, and subsistence. 

 The bill would also leave the forest products industry with 400 million board feet a year to harvest - 

 enough to preserve all current logging-related jobs based on past cutting levels." Id. at 410 

 (statement of Mark Kirchhoff , Port Alexander). 



"Let me set the record straight. Yesterday, we had a number of comments saying that 

 people's livelihood was going to be destroyed, jobs were going to be taken away, the whole 

 economic fabric of Southeast Alaska was going to fall apart. If the mills were forced to close down, 

 all this would turn into wilderness, and the timber industry would stop. There is no provision in the 

 bill that says we are going to shut down the timber industry." Id- at 423 (statement of Sen. Wirth). 



