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the Tongass reform legislation that Congress passes give a higher 

 priority to commercial fishing than is given today. S.346 is a step 

 in that direction. In addition, certain fisheries protection zones 

 should be included in your legislation, free of timbering and other 

 man-made threats to the fisheries resource. Specifically we support 

 this protection for Nutkwa, Karta and the Outer Islands. Sealaska 

 Corporation supports a group of seven fisheries enhancement zones 

 including these three. We support the Sealaska Proposal as well. 

 We recognize that S.346 protects Karta, Nutkwa and the Outside 

 Islands and applaud it for doing so. We would like the moratorium 

 described in Section 302 of S.346 to be permanent. 



Subsistence resources are essential to the lifestyle and culture of 

 our people. Preservation of those resources must be among the 

 paramount functions of Forest Service management of the Tongass. 

 We believe that function is no less important than maintaining 

 timber harvest levels or any other management purpose. We hope 

 that your final legislation will statutorily mandate that the Forest 

 Service can protect subsistence resources without compromise. We 

 support the language suggested by Senator Wirth in S.346 which 

 adds consideration of the impact of the timber harvest on subsist- 

 ence resources, wildlife and fisheries resources, commercial fisher- 

 ies and other impacts in Tongass reports and studies. 



We appreciate the findings and purposes described in S.346 

 which cite the essentiality of Tongass resources for subsistence ac- 

 tivities in commercial fishing. We agree with the finding that 

 states that current Forest Service anagement cannot be sustained 

 without jeopardizing subsistence users. 



Senator Wirth. Thank you, Mr. Roberts. Your statement will go 

 in the record; we appreciate it. 



[The prepared statement of Mr. Thomas follows:] 



