410 



-6- 



In closing, I would like to briefly address an argument that 

 is frequently raised in opposition to the effort to reform 

 management of the Tongass National Forest. The fight to protect 

 the resources of the Tongass is not, as some opponents of reform 

 might suggest, an effort to undercut the economy of the region. 

 Quite to the contrary, NWF believes that the passage of S. 346 is 

 vitally important to the economy of southeast Alaska. The 

 commercial fishing industry supports more jobs than any other 

 private employer in the area. Svibsistence fishing also feeds and 

 supports much of the native and rural population of southeast 

 Alaska. The fisheries resource must be protected from the 

 adverse impacts of logging. 



Southeast Alaska also is benefiting from a growth in 

 tourism. Tourism is the area's fastest growing industry and the 

 only primary industry to show major growth during the 1980 's. 

 The number of cruise ships plying southeast Alaska waters 

 increased 47 percent between 1975 and 1983. The Forest Service 

 estimates recreational use of the Tongass grew by 85 percent 

 between 1980 and 1985. 



Tourism will suffer in the long run if the Tongass Forest 

 continues to be managed in ways inconsistent with wildlife 

 protection, preservation of water quality and sensitivity to the 

 esthetics of the area. 



