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SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE 



PO Box 2228b Juneau. Alaska 99hU2 



TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST 

 Pol icy Posit ion 



I . INTRGDUCTION 



The Southeast Conference ;s a Non-Frofit Corporation comprised cf 

 local elected officials, business leaders and community members 

 representing Southeast Alaska dedicated to improving the well being 

 of Alaskans through the prudent expansion of the Alaskan economy. 

 The Conference was formed in 1963 to spearhead efforts to establish a 

 transportation infrastructure in the land locked panhandle of 

 Southeast upon which to build viable local and regional economies. 

 The Conference was successful in that endeavor: working with the 

 State and Federal governments the Southeast Conference built an 

 ominous "sailing bridge" from Seattle throughout Southeast, the 

 Alaska Marine Highway System. It is a billion dollar example of 

 what the people of Southeast can do when they work together tc 

 overcome an obstacle or challenge. That system is only one of may 

 varied accomplishments of the Southeast Conference efforts ranging 

 from the Ketchikan shipyard to the continued development and 

 expansion of the University of Alaska Southeast. The successes can 

 all be attributed to the people of Southeast striving together for a 

 common purpose, while maintaining mutual respect for community 

 differences, quality of life, and the importance of cultural 

 heritage. The Southeast Conference knows that the well being of the 

 region is dependent on the well being of the individual communities. 



The mission of the Southeast Conference is to build and maintain a 

 stable, diversified economy that provides for an improved standard of 

 living, quality employment and business development opportunities for 

 the people of Southeast Alaska through prudent use of our resources. 

 Use of these resources should reflect respect of the culture and the 

 individual community perspective of quality of life by taking strong 

 deliberate actions to affect business and government decisions and 

 markets; while encouraging a family centered society, a clean 

 environment and maximum realization of our mental, physical, 

 emotional and spiritual well being. 



It was with this history and spirit that the Board of Directors met 

 in September and launched an all out effort to resolve the conflicts 

 and economic peril surrounding the Tongass National Forest management 

 and legislation. During the Annual Meeting last Fall in Ketchikan 

 the Southeast Conference engaged in conversations and work sessions 

 with timber industry personnel, conservationists, as well as the 

 Governor and the Regional Forester about the problems in the 

 Tongass. One thing became abundantly clear, if there was going to be 

 an acceptable resolution to the Tongass conflict, there needed to be 

 an effort toward developing a consensus, at least in Southeast. 



The Conference established a five member Tongass Committee comprised 

 of representatives from large and small southeast Alaskan communities 



reflectina the interests of timber, subsistence, fisheries, tourism 



"Working For All Alaska' 



