108 



I think it is clear that if we tell the people of Brazil or other 

 tropical forests that you simply should leave those forests alone 

 and not worry about where you will get your food and your fiber 

 and some wealth for your economy that we will not succeed in 

 dealing with the tropical forestry problem. 



We have to find ways to demonstrate to them that there are sus- 

 tainable uses, sustainable developments for those countries. I 

 would suggest that portions of the Tongass National Forest because 

 of their very nature provide an opportunity to demonstrate that 

 sustainable long-term development. 



Senator Wirth. I would suspect in the planning that you do, 

 your planning as professional foresters would probably be better if 

 you were not bound by requirements in the law that say you have 

 to spend $40 million a year, you have to cut 4.5 billion board feet of 

 lumber per decade. Your planning would be better off if you were 

 starting de novo than if you had those requirements in front of 

 you. 



I would think that as a professional individual I would rather go 

 in and plan from scratch rather than have a lot of previous re- 

 quirements laid on me. 



Mr. Leonard. We think the National Forest Management Act 

 which applies to all the national forest provides a good basic back- 

 ground on which we could use to plan the appropriate balance of 

 uses on the Tongass or the Idaho Panhandle or other forests 

 around the country. 



Senator Wirth. Even having said that, you have no objection to 

 being required to continue to cut 4.5 billion board feet per decade 

 in the Tongass or to have remaining two 50 year long-term con- 

 tracts? 



There seems to be a little bit of inconsistency in the position you 

 are taking. 



Senator Murkowski. If I can interrupt, Senator Wirth. I do not 

 mandate a 4.5 cut. The legislation does not propose it. 



Mr. Leonard. We believe that we have the flexibility under the 

 provisions of the National Forest Management Act which specifi- 

 cally authorize us to make changes in those two long-term con- 

 tracts, to make those changes in the contracts necessary to bring 

 them into compliance with any changes that we would make under 

 the terms of the Tongass land management plan. 



We can change the standards by which we conduct our oper- 

 ations in Alaska. We can do that unilaterally under the terms of 

 the National Forest Management Act. 



Senator Wirth. Under Senator Murkowski's legislation, would 

 you be directed to carry out a program of intensive management of 

 the commercial forest land of the Tongass National Forest in order 

 to assure the availability of a sufficient supply of timber to achieve 

 an allowable sale quality of 4.5 billion board feet per decade? 



Mr. Leonard. Yes, we would be required to do that. 



Senator Wirth. We appreciate your being here, Mr. Leonard. 



Senator Burns. 



Senator Burns. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I have one 

 question. 



Whenever we start talking about these issues, something like 

 this, that we have not drifted away from the basic philosophy of 



