78 



Now, try and picture In you mind's eye, that same occasion 

 with only a two-legged stool. Unless you are very close to 

 the floor and can support your weight and keep your balance 

 with your feet on the ground, the two-legged stool would 

 have been entirely Inadequate for you basic seating needs! 

 This is exactly what will happen to the economy of Southeast 

 if the restrictive legislation supported by Senator Wirth 

 and Congressman Mzarek should become law! The local economy 

 will suffer tremendously and potentially collapse entirely 

 if the timber industry becomes too severely restricted. 



When I came to Alaska the D-2 Lands fight was settled. The 

 ANILCA debate was in full swing, but everyone expressed 

 optimism that an acceptable compromise would ultimately be 

 made and that the lands issue in Southeast would finally be 

 settled once and for all. People were making plans, 

 building homes and businesses, and borrowing money to expand 

 knowing full well that their ability to make a return on 

 their investments depended in great measure on a fair and 

 reasonble long term plan for the Tongass. Everyone knew 

 then as we all know now that circumstances change over time 

 and that a mechanism had to be established to facilitate 

 change. Just as the framers of the Constitution of the 

 United States included in that great document a process for 

 admendments to facilitate change, ANILCA Included the 

 Tongass Land Use Management Planning process to facilitate 

 change. Now outside forces are again intervening and 

 stating that all of the 1980 agreements were wrong and since 

 these outside forces and individuals seem to think they know 

 more about what is best for us than we do ourselves, we once 

 again find ourselves locked in a bitter struggle for our 

 very lives and livelihoods. The Alaska Congressional 

 Delegation has once again framed legislation that we feel we 

 can live with. Senator Murkowski's proposed legislation 

 recognizes the necessity of reforming the framework 

 established in 1980 to facilitate long term change, but it 

 doesn't steal our ability to make a living in the process! 



Over the last eighteen months a tremedous amount of 

 uncertainty has been interjected Into our local economy 

 involving all three "legs of the stool". The outright 

 threat of losing one leg entirely has already had devasting 

 economic Impact locally. People are no longer planning or 

 building or expanding or even dreaming! Most of us are 

 simply trying to survive and preserve a way of life in a 

 land we all love dearly. Because of this very real 

 uncertainty several large local businesses in Ketchikan that 

 I am personally familiar with are sacrificing quality 

 leadership and personnel to deal with diminishing monetary 

 returns. Many other good people are simply leaving the 

 community to go elsewhere as opportunities arise rather than 

 stay here in the land they love and risk their family 

 security on the uncertainty of a questionable future 



