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ALASKA DISCOVERY 



Senator Frank Muikowski 



Committee on Eneigy and Natiual Resources 



via fax to: 202-228-0S39 ^tention MaHc Rey 



May 23, 1996 



TONGASS FIELD HEARING, JUNEAU ALASKA. MAY 29, 1996 



Testimony of Ken Leghorn, PicskleDt and co-owner, on behalf of the Boaid of Direclots of Alaska 

 Discovery, Inc. 



WE OPPOSE THE KPC CONTRACT EXIIENSION 



In the 1950s when Tongass timber policy was enacted, there was virtually do tourism industry of^eratlng 

 on the Tongass, and only e few small tour ships plied the Inside Passage. In 1972, Alaska Discovery 

 was the fiat tourism company to receive a permit to operate commercial torn using federal land on (be 

 Tongass National Forest. Today there are atsJS^ businesses under pemik on the Tongass. Our 

 company's major concern with Tongass management is (hat (he Tongass is quickly becoming crowded 

 with a wide variety of osQS, not all of which are mutually ocanpatibie, and yet too moch pnme kod for 

 tourism development is being committed to the timbet industry. 



Although we support (he tiniber industry in general and believe there is enough land base on (he Tongass 

 to maintain a long term timber industry, we are opposed to the extension of the KPC contract 

 Tourism artd timber arc only compatible to the extent that tlicy utilize mutually exchisive areas. 

 Virtually no tourism can take place in an area utvdergoing major cieetcutling. and most Alaska tourism 

 opportunities arc very limited in places after clear-cutting has taken place. This is largely due to 

 impacts on scenery and the desires of visitors to come to Alaska to experience pristine nature combined 

 with a degree of quiet and tranquillity they are no longer able to experience in National Parks or 

 National Forests elsewhere. 



Unfortunately, clearcutting ja:ac(ices needed to support the KPC pulp contract force the Forest Service to 

 continually develop timber sales in new, previously untouched areas. 



We have also seen timber sales increased in size and scope to meet (he needs of the KPC contract, 

 including areas of prime toonsm potential such as Honker Divide on Prince of Wales Island and Port 

 Houghton. • For example, whereas a 65 million board feet timber sale was originally planned for Port 

 Houghton , the current Port Houghton project recommends a sale volume of 123 million board feet, with 

 a range of alternatives studied that only varies between 100-125 million board feet This thiee-fold 

 increase in sale volume is based entirely on the need to satisfy the pulp mill contract, and suddenly puts 

 this timber sale into major conflict with tourism and recreation uses of that area. 



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