I will be brief because being the new member on this Committee 

 and the Subcommittee and as a new representative of the State of 

 Montana I come here to listen, not to hear Senators talk. We hear 

 each other talk every day in Washington, D.C. This is my first trip 

 to Alaska and even though I just arrived I can see that this state so 

 vast that it dwarfs my home State of Montana. 



Alaska and Montana have a lot in common. We depend upon 

 tourism for our economy; we also depend on timber products and 

 the industry to provide many of our jobs. These similarities are 

 some of the reasons that I have come to this hearing. I am very 

 interested in the eventual legislation that will pass with a potential 

 effect on my home State of Montana and upon this nation. 



But more than that I am interested in hearing from people who 

 would be most affected by the deliberations. I believe strongly that 

 the decision we make here and on our federal lands must be done 

 with full consideration of local economies and local communities 

 and the sociological effects. I believe that a balanced use of natural 

 forests and a multiple use, if you will, and I also believe that the 

 proper forest management is achieved through the use of land 

 management process. 



Congress should avoid micro-management decisions. The current 

 450 million board feet annual supply requirement may or may not 

 be supportable when the current planning process is completed. If 

 the revised forest plans indicate that this level of harvest is not 

 sustainable then we will take another look, reassess and look at 

 our goals with full public disclosure and the result of long-term ef- 

 fects on the dependent industries, on the communities that are di- 

 rectly affected. 



Again, I am looking forward to the testimony from Alaskans. I 

 understand that there are many people who want to testify but 

 keep in mind that we only have so much time and I will cut my 

 remarks short. I invite those people to submit written testimony 

 for our committee. 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I think we should get down to the 

 business at hand. 



Senator Wirth. Thank you very much. Senator Burns. Let me 

 make a couple of procedural comments about how we are going to 

 operate. 



We will first hear from several panels of witnesses. After the 

 panels have concluded you will hear from individuals. Most panel- 

 ists and individuals should check the witness list posted outside to 

 give you an approximate idea of the time when you will be testify- 

 ing. 



All witnesses on this morning's panels who are here should take 

 a seat in the section reserved for you, the first few rows of seats 

 down here. Everyone down here on the left will know who is here 

 and you will all have a chance then to move in when your opportu- 

 nity presents itself. When your panel is called to testify please 

 come up on the stage and take a seat in the back row. There are 

 two rows of three seats here and that is what I mean by the back 

 row — that is sort of the on-deck circle. After the preceding panel 

 has completed testifying move up to the table and bring all the 

 copies of your written statement with you at that time. The staff 



