129 



ALASKANS OPPOSE THE 4.5 TIMBER SUPPLY GOAL. Most Important of all from 

 SElACC's potnt-of -view, the Congressionally written timber supply provision of 

 ANILCA is opposed by many southeast Alaskans. Sixteen of the twenty- five 

 communities in southeast Alaska , the "bush" communities directly effected by 

 Tongass logging, have already passed resolutions supporting repeal of the 4.5 

 timber supply figure. These are communities that are dependent upon the fish 

 and wildlife resources of the Tongass and are not dependent upon commercial 

 timber cutting. In fact, the community stability of these villages is 

 threatened by the Forest Service's large scale logging and road building 

 programs. When the Forest Set-vice speaks of "dependent communities", they 

 only refer to logging dependent towns. The agency never expresses concern for 

 villages that are dependent on Tongass resources but not on Tongass logging. 



FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT THREATENED. As late as 1987, the timber industry 



and the Forest Service made claims that logging has had no negative effect on 



fish and wildlife since record salmon and deer harvests had occurred during 



recent years. A joint statement by southeast Alaska's commercial fishing 



groups to Congress in 1985 debunked these claims: 



The Forest Service argues that fish runs have 

 increased during the last few years, even implying 

 that improved run strength is due to forestry 

 practices. Such statements are worse than misleading. 

 For the Forest Service to take credit for the State of 

 Alaska's much improved management practices, for a 

 succession of exceptionally good years for salmon 

 ocean survival, for the reduction of foreign fleet 

 salmon interceptions on the high seas, and for catch 

 reductions endured by Alaska fishermen in the name of 

 conservation is an affront to the public and to the 

 Congress ("Status of the Tongass National Forest," 

 ANILCA Section 706(b) Report Number 1, U.S. Forest 

 Service, April 1986, p. 133). 



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