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availability of commercial timber it has to come from somebody; n 

 other words, from the Forest Service contracts that are on a renew- 

 able basis or private lands. There is only so much commercial 

 forest, and I assume you would not support removing lands from 

 the wilderness to provide an increased or sufficient timber base for 

 all those who want to harvest on a multi-use basis, or would you? 



Mr. LoESCHER. Senator, we have no position on that matter. 



Senator Murkowski. With regard to the Hiada Native Corpora- 

 tion which is a selection that is still pending, where would you sug- 

 gest we go for that timber? 



Mr. LoESCHER. Senator, we have been communicating and work- 

 ing with Hiada Corporation steadily over the last several months, 

 and I personally met with their board of directors about two weeks 

 ago. They are very interested in the Portage-Sulzer area which is 

 just immediately east of the community of Hiadaberg. That is the 

 area with which they would like to set aside and have the opportu- 

 nity to get conveyance. 



Senator Murkowski. What is the status of that timber? Is it an 

 allotment? 



Mr. LoESCHER. I do not believe so, Senator. It could be within the 

 contract area of the Louisiana Pacific Company, but 



Senator Murkowski. If you have an opportunity to find out, I 

 would appreciate it for the record. 



Thank you, Mr. Loescher. 



Mr. William A. Thomas, Jr., Chairman of Klukwan Forest Prod- 

 ucts, Juneau, Alaska. 



Please proceed, Mr. Thomas. 



STATEMENT OF WILLIAM A. THOMAS, JR., CHAIRMAN, KLUKWAN 



FOREST PRODUCTS, INC. 



Mr. Thomas. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the sub- 

 committee. My name is William A. Thomas, Jr. I was born in 

 Haines, Alaska, 80 miles north of Juneau and now live in the 

 native village of Klukwan like countless generations before me. I 

 do not wish to raise my children outside of Alaska. I am very proud 

 to be an Alaskan and wish to remain there. 



Klukwan, Inc. is a native southeast Alaskan native corporation 

 that was created as a result of the ANSCA legislation. I am direc- 

 tor of Klukwan, Inc. and the chairman of the board of Klukwan 

 Forest Products, our largest operating subsidiary and the largest 

 logging operation or single-owned operation in Alaska. 



As a commercial fisherman, I am also equally interested in the 

 fishing industry and am a director on the board of the United 

 Southeast Gillnetters Association. 



In southeast Alaska everyone depends upon the services that are 

 provided as part of a well-balanced community. It is very impor- 

 tant that the logging and fishing industries along with the growth 

 of tourism continue to be viable in the southeast. As a fisherman, 

 past logger and a person involved in the logging industry, I feel 

 that the industries can co-exist. 



ANSCA recognized the claims of the Alaska native people to the 

 land. Under the act, the village of Klukwan is given the option of 

 retaining the village reserve lands or sharing with the other vil- 



