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TESTIMONY OF THE HONORABLE TED FERRY 



MAYOR OF THE CITY OF KETCHIKAN, ALASKA 



Given before the United States Senate Energy Subcommittee on 



Public Lands, National Parks and Forests 



April 24, 1989 



Ketchikan can accurately be described as a city bigger than it phy- 

 sically is! A strange statement but let me explain. We serve as the 

 transportation hub of Southern Southeast Alaska and for approximately 

 half of the Tongass National Forest, the nations largest. We are also 

 the provider of human services for our regfion many of which are nor- 

 mally found only in much larger cities. Hospital and medical care (e.g. 

 many counties in the western states have had to combine resources to 

 provide such care while having three or more cities in each county with 

 populations larger than Ketchikan and combined populations many times 

 greater than our 13,000 residents). Youth programs, social services, 

 police and fire support, recreation and on it goes. In each instance 

 our community has taken the lead to insure that ALL Southeasterners 

 have available these services and opportunities that a typical small town 

 simply cannot offer. We are the First City . We are neither a mill or 

 company town, a fishing village or a tourist destination. We are and 

 want to continue as a contributing user of the Tongass providing wood 

 products to the nation and the world, a fishing port producing quality 

 seafood and a place where people from all walks of life can come to visit 

 «md enjoy the majesty of the Tongass and our local brand of Alaskan 

 hospitality. We even encourage those with the pioneer spirit and 

 webbed feet to stay and be part of us. 



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