181 



Senator Murkowski. Thank you. I am trying to be very brief and 

 take them as they come up. 



You noted on page 5 a reference that after 20 years, roads are 

 choked with thick alder, precluding all travel along them by vehi- 

 cle or by foot. I would appreciate your supplying for the record 

 some locations specifically of those roads. 



Mr. Edwards. Just about every place I have flown over in south- 

 east Alaska that was logged 15 or 20 years ago, you can see those 

 quarters of alders as you fly over. It is really hard to pinpoint any 

 one place because it is so widespread. We could provide some pho- 

 tographs if you like. 



Senator Murkowski. No, I would like the specific locations, be- 

 cause I have been in those areas. You can walk through, deer hunt 

 and so forth. But rather than belabor it, if you would just supply 

 for the record some specific locations where you cannot walk 

 through by foot. 



Mr. Edwards. I have seen that in Fish Bay and Robin Bay. 



Senator Murkowski. If you would give us the locations, we 

 would appreciate it. If you do not care to, that is obviously your 

 own business. 



Did SEACC testify in the Tongass Timber Reform, the TLMP 

 hearings? 



Mr. Edwards. I am pretty sure we did. I do not really know. I 

 did not attend those myself. 



Senator Murkowski. I would appreciate a clarification whether 

 you did or not. 



Do you think that that effort has been a worthwhile effort? 



Mr. Edwards. The TLMP process? It has actually been a rather 

 frustrating process for us, especially looking ahead to the revision 

 that is going on now. I think we are really tied in by the 4.5 man- 

 date. 



Senator Murkowski. It is my understanding that the TLMP is to 

 get public opinion on necessary changes, and my questions are 

 whether or not SEACC feels that, they participated; whether it was 

 a worthwhile input; and whether there is anything that will be 

 worthwhile to come out of this effort, which is a recommendation 

 for changes to be made. 



I believe that the report is hopefully going to be out late this 

 year. 



I guess my question is. Does SEACC look toward the TLMP proc- 

 ess as the responsible and reasonable way to get input from all seg- 

 ments of Alaska with regard to recommended changes? 



Mr. Edwards. My staff has informed me that there were no 

 hearings held, but we have participated in meetings. 



I would like to read a statement by one of our board members 

 who is a former Forest Service planner, now retired, which he 

 wrote to the Sitka Sentinel about a year ago. I will be brief. 



He says here, "I recently testified before members of the U.S. 

 Senate. I made it clear that proponents of the Tongass Timber 

 Reform Act are not trying to stop the revision of the Tongass plan. 

 The fact is that the Tongass Timber Reform Act will assist the 

 completion of the revision and help the Forest Service planning 

 effort. Removal of the inflexible 450 million board foot per year 



