88 



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 THE FOREST SERVICE TO 

 PROTECT SUBSISTENCE RESOURCES WITHOUT COMPROMISE. WE 

 SUPPORT THE LANGUAGE SUGGESTED BY SENATOR WIRTH IN S. 34 6 

 WHICH ADDS CONSIDERATION OF "THE IMPACT OF THE TIMBER 

 HARVEST ON SUBSISTENCE RESOURCES, WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES 

 RESOURCES, COMMERCIAL FISHERIES" 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 ACTIVITIES IN COMMERCIAL FISHING. WE AGREE WITH 

 THE FINDING THAT STATES THAT CURRENT FOREST SERVICE 

 MANAGEMENT CAN NOT BE SUSTAINED WITHOUT JEOPARDIZING 

 SUBSISTENCE USERS. 



MOST IMPORTANT, WE SUPPORT SECTION 201(b) WHICH 

 REQUIRES REVISION OF TLMP TO "SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE 

 PRODUCTION OF RESOURCES THAT ARE CRITICAL TO THE LONG TERM 

 BEST INTERESTS OF ... COMMERCIAL FISHING, ... AND THE 

 SUBSISTENCE USERS IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA." 



OUR LAST PRIORITY IS THE BALANCE BETWEEN CONSERVATION 

 AND DEVELOPMENT. YOU WILL UNDOUBTEDLY HEAR TESTIMONY FROM 

 WITNESSES WHO BELIEVE IN THEIR HEARTS THAT CONSERVATION IS 

 THE ONLY VALUE YOU SHOULD PRESERVE, WHILE OTHERS WILL SAY 

 THAT DEVELOPMENT IS ALL- IMPORTANT. THE CENTRAL COUNCIL 

 REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED IN THIS AREA FROM TIME 

 IN MEMORIAL AND WILL LIVE HERE FOR AS LONG AS MAN LIVES 

 HERE. WE NEED THE LAND PROTECTED AND THE FORESTS TO THRIVE, 

 BUT WE ALSO NEED A MEANS OF EARNING A LIVELIHOOD AND RAISING 

 OUR CHILDREN. WE KNOW OF NO MAGIC FORMULA TO PROVIDE EACH 

 SIDE WITH JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF EMPHASIS. WE ONLY HOPE 

 TJiAT YOU PAY GREATEST ATTENTION TO THE WITNESSES AND 

 ORGANIZATIONS WHO SEEK TO FIND A BALANCE AND A FAIR 

 COMPROMISE. 



