210 



,^BSTRy. 



Founded 1875 



Mailing Address 

 P.O. Box 2000 

 Washington, D.C. 20013 



1516 P Street, N.W. 

 Washington, D.C. 20005 



telephone (202) 667-3300 



Statement of 



Gerald J. Gray 



Director of Resource Policy 



American Forestry Association 



before the 



Senate Conmittee on Energy and Natural Resources 

 Subcommittee on Public Lands, National Parks & Forests 



on 



Issues related to the itenagement of the Ttongass National Forest 



February 28, 1989 



Mr. Chalnien. Members of the Subcarmittee . 



I am Gerald Gray, Director of Resource Policy for the American Forestry 

 Association, the national citizen's organization for trees, forests and forestry. 

 Vte are pleased to have this opportunity to share with you our views on the 

 ^Itangass Nationcil Forest because vge believe that v^iat goes on in the Itongass 

 eif fects all Americans and sets an iitportant precedent for the itenagement of all 

 national forests. 



Some years ago, a ccnproraise v«s struck in Congress v*iich apparently 

 satisfied all interests. In return for a sizable vd.ldemess set-aside in the 

 Alas)ca National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (ANILCA), timber 

 management in Southeast Alaska was intensified as a way of protecting jobs and 

 communities in that region. Ihat seemed to work for a vdiile, but conditions 

 changed, and the law new appears obsolete. 



We have listened to the argument that "a deal is a deal." We have also 

 listened to the very real concerns of people who feel that the special treatment 

 given to the "Pongass in recent years was a reasonable acconicdaticn in light of 

 the intensely political clinate in v^iich wilderness areas in the Forest were 

 established before the forest planning process was allowed to complete its work. 

 But today, v« believe the facts demcnstrate that a bad deed is a bad deal. Vfe 

 feel the situation has reached a point v*iere a new solution must be sought. As a 

 result, v« si;ipport reform of ANILCA to provide for rational management of the 

 Forest, v*u.le recognizing the need to treat the people and coraniunities of 

 Southeast Alaska fairly. 



The National Citizens Organization For Trees. Forests, and Forestry 



