44 

 Senator Wirth. Adrian LeCornu. 



STATEMENT OF ADRIAN LeCORNU, MAYOR, CITY OF HYDABURG 



Mr. LeCornu. Good morning. 



My name is Adrian LeCornu and I am the Mayor of the City of 

 Hydaburg. 



The City of Hydaburg has a population of 456 people, 86 percent 

 of whom are of Haida ancestry. The community is located approxi- 

 mately 46 miles west of Ketchikan. 



Hydaburg was founded in 1911 when three Haida villages con- 

 solidated to embark upon the plan devised by the Bureau of Educa- 

 tion. This four-part plan intended to: one, recast the Haidas in 

 roles as American citizens; two, create a model progressive village 

 upon what was known as the Metlakatla Plan; three, set aside an 

 area of land for the exclusive use of Haida, and four, to develop a 

 modern industrial economy based on the fisheries and the timber 

 resources. 



We have not realized the dreams of our forebears and the Metla- 

 katla Plan has not materialized for the Haida. 



The City of Hydaburg supports the changes proposed in Senator 

 Wirth's bill. In addition, the City supports the protection and pres- 

 ervation of the Nutkwa Inlet, an area extremely important to our 

 people for subsistence and recreational use and we support the pro- 

 tection of the outside islands, tradition Haida lands. Two, we sup- 

 port the provisions of the Haida Land Exchange Act which would 

 allow Haida Corporation to receive lands such as those in the 

 Sulzer-Portage Area. 



Three, we support the protection of the City of Hydaburg's wa- 

 tershed by authorizing exchanges between the regional corpora- 

 tions and the State of Alaska. 



The number of people in Hydaburg working in the timber indus- 

 try is very small. When we look at those signs around town which 

 say support our timber industry it brings home the fact that the 

 timber industry is theirs and not ours. Hydaburg has come to be- 

 lieve that the Forest Service and the timber industry would rather 

 not have Hydaburg participating in the promises of these long-term 

 contracts. 



We agree with those who have said that the current manage- 

 ment regime in the Tongass National Forest is a relic of a bygone 

 era. The dependent industry has shown time and again that is not 

 concerned with the local economy of southeast, nor with long-term 

 jobs for their workers. Those interested have only to review the 

 Reid Brothers antitrust case and the recent complaint brought to 

 the National Labor Relations Board against Alaska Lumber and 

 Pulp. 



Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. 



Senator Wirth. Thank you. Mayor LeCornu. Again, I appreciate 

 the efforts that all of you are making to stay within the limit and 

 it makes it easier on everybody else all day long. 



Mr. Taylor. 



