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Senator Murkowski. Thank you very much, Mr. Anderson. 



In your statement you indicated 50 to 75 percent deer decline in 

 over half the watersheds scheduled for logging in the next 100 

 years. However, if we agree that one-third of the commercial forest 

 is in wilderness, one-third is set aside for fish and game habitat 

 pending TLMP, and one-third is commercial lumber to be cut, then 

 what would happen in the next 100 years on the two-thirds that 

 are left, the one-third for the commercial forest that is in wilder- 

 ness and the one-third that is set aside? 



With regard to those watersheds it would seem that if you are 

 predicting a 50 to 75 percent decline in the areas of half the water- 

 sheds cut, then what happens to the others that remain in perpetu- 

 ity uncut in their natural state? Do we get an increase in the deer 

 population? 



Dr. Anderson. Yes, Mr. Chairman. I think that is an important 

 question and certainly one well worth my addressing. 



As I mentioned, in addition to the watersheds that we indicated 

 would be entered where the reductions would occur, my intention 

 there certainly was not to suggest that the deer population 

 throughout the region would be trashed, so to speak, or even be re- 

 duced to levels below what we would consider as genetically viable 

 or even viable in a more general sense. 



Of the 191 watersheds that do contain deer and will not be en- 

 tered, I think it is important to realize that in many of these, 46 of 

 them on East Revilla Island for example, have comparatively low 

 deer numbers. 



Also, many of the watersheds that are in the wilderness system 

 right now are not particularly productive deer habitat. Generally 

 speaking, mainland habitat and I would think areas that have com- 

 parable climate — I am thinking of Misty Fjords as an example — do 

 not support high deer population. Snowfall is much higher. Winter 

 severity tends to be somewhat greater. 



There are, of course, protected deer habitat and flourishing popu- 

 lations on Admiralty Island, West Chichagof and to a lesser extent 

 on South Baranof, I believe 51 watersheds on Admiralty and about 

 57 on Chichagof and Baranof. 



Again, the point that I want to stress is that in the wilderness 

 system as it currently exists, with the exception of parts of Admi- 

 ralty Island much of those areas do not contain in significant 

 amounts the sort of high volume stands that we would consider to 

 be really key deer winter habitat. 



Senator Murkowski. Is it not true that on Admiralty, Chichagof 

 and Baranof, those are the only three islands of any consequence 

 where there are no wolf populations? 



Dr. Anderson. Yes, Mr. Chairman, that is correct. There are no 

 wolves on any of the islands north of Frederick Sound. 



Senator Murkowski. What is the deer population on the Ton- 

 gass? 



Dr. Anderson. I would probably be irresponsible if I gave you a 

 number. Censusing deer is an extremely tricky business. We biolo- 

 gists are a lot better at measuring trends than we are at measuring 

 absolute numbers, but I could give you some ballpark ranges as 

 well as some relative numbers. 



Senator Murkowski. That is what I would expect, obviously. 



