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Southeast Alaska Conservation Council 



?>^^.'. SEACC • PO Box 021692 • Juneau, .Maska 99802 • igO'' 586 6942 



801 Pt'ftnyvlvuni J .^lvnl<l. .S fc 



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March 6, 1989 

 TongasS National Forest Land Protection Proposal 



The Tongass is America's largest National Forest. Nearly 17 

 million acres, it is the last remaining refuge of old growth rain 

 forest that once extended from California to Alaska. A wild and 

 rugged land, the Tongass supports booming commercial fishing and 

 tourism industries and provides fish and game for a large 

 subsistence economy. 



Unfortunately, the Tongass and its renewable resources are being 

 severely damaged by a massive U.S. Forest Service timber program. 

 The rapid cutting of old growth trees is timber raining, not 

 renewable forest management. This program relies on huge federal 

 subsidies that are costing American taxpayers an average of S50 

 million each year. 



Forest Service logging plans for the next 100 years in southeast 

 Alaska will result in the clearcutting of 1.75 million acres; 

 more than 330,000 acres of prime forest land have already been 

 cut. Together, this will impact an area the size of Yellowstone 

 National Park. Over the next ten years alone, the agency plans to 

 build at least 2000 miles of new roads. 



Under current law, only 30 percent of high value wildlife areas 

 and only 28 percent of high value fisheries areas are protected 

 from logging and road building with wilderness designation. 

 Logging to date has permanently eliminated over one-half of the 

 most biologically rich, highest volume old growth forest in the 

 Tongass; less than five percent of this kind of forest is 

 currently protected in wilderness. 



The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council proposes that 

 23 areas crucial for fish and wildlife habitat, 

 commercial fishing, tourism and recreation, subsistence 

 hunting and fishing, and scientific research be protected 

 from logging and road building in the lOlst Congress 

 through wilderness designation or some other permanent 

 protective status. 



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XLASk.^ SOClEn OF .VMERIC\.N- FOREST DWELLERS Pou« Bjkcr • FRIEMJSOF 3ERNERS BAJ. Juneau • PELICAN FORESTRY COL SOIL 



NARROWS CONSERVATION CO.ALITIOS Petersburg • FRIENDS OF GLACIER BAY Guiuvus • TDNCASS CONSERVATION SCClETi Keich.kjn 



FALSE ISL-AND KOOK LAKE COLNCIL Tenakee Spnngs • 1VR.ANCELL RESOURCE COUNOL • lAKL' CONSERV.VTION SOClETn luneju 



