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it has altered its overall timber management policies on the 

 Tonaass . But while testifying that it no longer considers the 

 4. 5' a mandate, the Forest Service goes on to state that if their 

 data base and inventory information gathered for the revision 

 indicate the 4.5 cannot be supplied, the agency will come to 

 Congress and ask for changes. We believe that the agency is 

 talking out of both sides of its mouth. If the Forest Service 

 doesn't consider the 4.5 a mandate, why would it have to come 

 back to Congress to ask for changes? A great many Southeast 

 Alaskans believe that the only way the Forest Service will ever 

 change is if Congress forces them to do so. 



While the Forest Service is adamantly claiming that the 

 draft Revision will be out in December 1989. it is already a year 

 behind on the schedule it publis^-1 in 1987, We believe that it 

 will be as late as 1994 before t "new" Tongass Plan is finally 

 completed. In the meantime, the Forest Service will continue 

 implementing the 4.5 mandate in the field as its excuse for 

 having to log the key fish and wildlife habitat and recreation 

 areas that the public has fought so hard to have spared. If the 

 agency discovers that a different supply goal is warranted or key 

 habitat and recreation areas should be protected from logging to 

 provide for other nontimber uses and brings it before Congress, 

 it will take several years for Congress to act on those 

 recommendations. In the meantime, this course of inaction 

 assures that there will be precious little left to reform. 



Additionally, the two pulp mills will use their 50-year 

 contracts to continue targeting key fish and wildlife habitat 

 that communities have asked to be protected for the nontimber 

 uses that provide for those communities' stability. Between now 

 a'- -he final Revision of the Tongass Land Management Plan 

 s. ,uled for 1991-92 (or later). 2.5 billion board feet of new 

 timoer sales will be committed by the Forest Service for logging. 

 This includes 3 major 5-year operating plans for the two pulp 

 mills plus independent timber sales. These plans will also 

 propose more than 1000 miles of new roads. Unless placed under a 

 moratorium or permanently protected, many of the critical fish 

 and wildlife areas listed in S . 346 will be clearcut and criss- 

 crossed by road networks. 



We firmly believe that reform legislation will untie the 

 hands of Forest Service professionals and provide guidance to 

 continue the Revision planning effort. The claim that the agency 

 will be forced to start its revision effort over is erroneous. 

 All the data base and inventory information work which has been 

 done thus far will bo utilized to make the Revision a better and 

 more balanced land use plan. 



As long as the 4.5 is written in law and as long as the 50- 

 year contracts allow the pulp mills to continue their control 

 over management decisions, the "revised" Tongass Plan will simply 

 be a tragic replay of the current situation. Many Southeast 

 Alaskans believe that unless changes are made now. the Revision 

 will be a monumental waste of time and money. 



