58 



to the continued operation of Avtex is their ability to obtain supplies 

 from the mill in Sitka. 



The Air Force has requested that Alaska Pulp increase it shipments 

 to Avtex. According to the Air Force in a recent letter, and I quote, 

 "Without an adequate quantity of wood pulp, Avtex will not be able 

 to operate at economical levels and this could force the plant into 

 final closure, thereby jeopardizing our national security." 



CONCLUSION 



Mr. Chairman, I have observed that my colleagues from the western 

 states must continually oppose national preservationist group 

 agendas for local land use in their states. Large areas of our states 

 are owned by the federal government and the relationship between 

 the federal land manager and local communities runs deep --their 

 livelihoods depend upon it. Many of my eastern colleagues will 

 never fully understand how the large federal presence affects our 

 v/orkers, families, communities and our states in general. 



Consider what it would be like to give up control of large land areas 

 in your own states. What areas would you choose? Worse yet, what 

 if the government decided for you? I have 56 million acres of the 90 

 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System in my State. 

 The designated wilderness in Alaska is larger than the state of Idaho. 

 One would think the Wilderness Act was written with only Alaska in 

 mind -- but it wasn't. 



How would my colleagues go about selecting which segment of your 

 population would be allowed to remain and which would be required 

 to relocate? And how would you choose which of your industries 

 and communities would be dismantled "for the good of the Nation"? 

 How would you explain to working mothers and fathers that they 

 would no longer have a job to support their families because the 

 government 2500 miles away in Washington, D.C. knew best how to 

 allocate uses of the land? 



Mr. Chairman, the most difficult explanation of all is to explain to 

 your neighbors and friends how people thousands of miles away 

 with little or no knowledge about their community or traditions or 

 way of life, people who have nothing personal to lose in the outcome 

 of the decision could have more voice in the process than they have 

 themselves. 



I commend the Subcommittee for holding this hearing today and for 

 tentatively planning to hold hearings in Alaska. The people of 



