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H.R. 3659 would essentially hand an additional 15 years of dominance over one of our 

 country's premier wildlife habitats to KPC. The area yielding the bulk of the timber 

 already promised to KPC is on Prince of Wales Island, which sustains the river otter, 

 Prince of Wales flying squirrel, Vancouver Canada goose, and two species of special 

 concern: the marbled murrelet and Queen Charlotte goshawk. Prince of Wales also has 

 a distinct population of Franklin's spruce grouse. More common residents include the 

 Sitka black-tailed deer and some of the largest black bears in the nation. H.R. 3659 

 does not provide for maintaining the viability of these populations, and will undermine 

 efforts to do so. 



The timber wolf is also at risk. Prince of Wales Island contains a stronghold of the 

 Alexander Archipelago wolf. Although hunting and trapping occurs in the Tongass, 

 logging and roadbuilding remain the major threats to these animals. The wolf survives 

 largely on predation of deer. Deer depend on the diverse plant community fostered by 

 the multi-layer canopy of the old-growth rainforest. Stands with large trees are critical 

 for deer in hard winters because the crowns intercept the snow, making travel and 

 feeding easier. Post-logging clearcuts not only hinder deer movement in snow, but also 

 cause forage to become less nutritious. For a short while after clearcuts, forage is 

 healthy because seedling regeneration is good in logged Sitka spruce and western 

 hemlock forests. But some 25-30 years after clearcutting, the overlapping branches of 

 the new trees completely shade the forest floor, and although the deer can use the 

 stands for cover against snow, there is little or no forage. It takes 200 to 250 years for 

 clearcuts to resemble old-growth conditions conducive to these deer. 



If H.R. 3659 becomes law, KPC will be allowed to continue clearcutting at increased 

 rates. This will have grave impacts on the wildlife already mentioned, particularly in the 

 region of the roadless areas of Honker Divide and nearby Elevenmile. Named for the 

 resonant call of migrating Canada geese following this natural flyway up the center of 

 Prince of Wales, Honker Divide is a misty reach of moss-covered forest studded by a 

 chain of lakes that stretches from the mouth of the Thorne River at Thorne Bay over 

 the low divide to Hatchery Creek and again to the sea. It boasts a 30-mile canoe trail 

 and is the source of the Thome River, known for its steelhead trout runs. The trees in 

 this area are generally smaller, with the biggest trees being found on hilltops separated 

 by sparsely timbered muskeg. If the area were open to logging, many miles of roads 

 would be necessary to reach the denser stands. Honker Divide and Elevenmile are 

 simply the best of what's left of unprotected wildlife habitat on Prince of Wales Island. 

 Pressure to fulfill the high-volume requirements of the extended contract would surely 

 put those areas in jeopardy. Logging could cause significant reduction of deer and 

 wolves in the area. Increased logging would not only harm the forage, it would also 

 provide better access for hunters. Due to this potential logging, the Thorne was named 

 by American Rivers as one of the nation's ten most endangered rivers. 



