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habitat areas and 31 high-value wildlife habitat areas are designated in the Forest Plan for unroaded, 

 primitive recreation management (Land Use Designation II). 



QUESTION 4. Has the creation of designated wilderness on the Tongass by ANILCA been beneficial to the 

 tourism industry? 



ANSWER: The tourism industry is primarily based on Southeast Alaska's undeveloped scenic charac- 

 ter both within designated Wilderness and in other areas with relatively undeveloped characteristics. 

 The majority of tourist operators feel Wilderness is a positive attribute but also recognize the restrictive 

 effects of Wilderness designation on facilities such as lodges and resorts. Establishment of major 

 facilities in or near a designated Wilderness may be adversely affected by the necessary restriction of 

 development and use within a designated Wilderness. 



Wilderness designation seems to have more influence on the pattern of marketing and promoting 

 tourism which in turn affects use patterns. Often a specific wilderness is promoted such as Misty Fiords 

 National Monument Wilderness. However, there is some indication that because of the interest created 

 about the Tongass National Forest in the past two years, just the reference to the name Tongass,' 

 rather than to a specific wilderness, is being used to promote trips and services. 



TONGASS LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN 



QUESTION 1. When will the new Tongass forest plan be complete? 



ANSWER: A draft of the revised plan and an accompanying draft environmental impact statement is 

 scheduled for completion by December 1989. We expect the revised plan to be completed in 1991. 



QUESTION 2. In the Tongass plan revision now being developed, could you select and implement an 

 alternative including an allowable sale quantity smaller than 4.5 billion feet, without new legislation from 

 Congress? 



ANSWER: The revised Forest Plan will examine a full range of alternatives including but not limited 

 to those which comply with the timber supply provisions of Section 705(a) of ANILCA. If an alternative 

 is selected that does not comply with Section 705(a), current law would need to be modified prior to 

 plan implementation. However, the current law in no way constrains examination or selection of an 

 alternative through the forest planning process which might deviate from the requirements of Section 

 705(a). 



QUESTION 3. Can you select and implement an alternative that budgets less than $40 million dollars per 

 year to make timber available, without additional legislation from congress? 



ANSWER: Yes. The funding provision of Section 705(a) is primarily to ensure that the added invest- 

 ments necessary to maintain a timber supply of 4.5 billion board feet per decade can be made if 

 sufficient demand exists for the timber. Less than $40 million could be budgeted without a legislative 

 change under at least two scenarios: One, the necessary added investments could be accomplished 

 for less than $40 million, or two, the projected demand for Tongass timber was insufficient to require 

 the full range of investments. 



QUESTION 4. If S. 346 becomes law, will you still be free to select any reasonable alternative plan - including 

 continuing current management - without additional legislation from Congress? 



ANSWER: Until the detailed analysis of alternatives is completed through the forest planning process, 

 the effect of enactment of S. 346 on our ability to select and implement any reasonable alternative 



n'7 1 -^7. 



