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TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM A. THOMAS, JR. 



ON BEHALF OF KLUKWAN, INC & KLUKWAN FOREST PRODUCTS, INC. 



BEFORE THE PUBLIC LANDS SUBCOMMITTEE OF SENATE ENERGY & NATURAL 



RESOURCES COMMITTEE 



My name is William A. Thomas, Jr. I was born and raised in Haines, 

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

 Village of Klukwan. 



Klukwan, Inc. is a Southeast Alaska Native Village corporation 

 created as a result of the ANCSA legislation, I am a director on 

 the Klukwan, Inc. Board and Chairman of the Board of Klukwan Forest 

 Products, Inc., our largest operating subsidiary and the largest 

 logging concern in Alaska. As a commercial fisherman, I am 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 

 important that the logging and fishing industries along with the 

 growth of tourism continue to be viable in Southeast. As a 

 fisherman, past logger and a person involved in the logging 

 industry, I feel that the industries can co-exist. 



ANCSA recognized the claims of the Alaska Native people to the 

 land. Under the Act, the Village of Klukwan was given the option 

 of retaining the Village reserve land or sharing with the other 

 villages, the land that they would be entitled to under the Claims 

 Act. The shareholders of Klukwan decided to retain reserve status 



