90 

 Senator Wirth. Mr. Williams. 



STATEMENT OF WILLIAM K. WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT, CAPE FOX 



CORP. 



Mr. Williams. My name is William K. Williams and I am Presi- 

 dent of Cape Fox Corporation, a Native Village Corporation orga- 

 nized pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. 



On behalf of the Cape Fox Corporation I want I to express our 

 thanks for the subcommittee's willingness to hold these field hear- 

 ings and our appreciation for being permitted to testify today. I 

 will try to make my remarks as brief as possible. 



Cape Fox Corporation is the largest private land holder in the 

 Ketchikan-Gateway Borough. We own 20,000 acres of timberland in 

 the area. All of our land is located in the heart of the Tongass. Our 

 shareholders live in the Tongass and many, if not all, Cape Fox 

 people are dependent on the Tongass, either for employment in the 

 timber industry or for subsistence resources. The policies you devel- 

 op for the Tongass will have a direct and immediate impact on us. 



Of the 20,000 acres of commercial timber available to us we have 

 harvested approximately 75 percent. Cape Fox Corporation does 

 not actively harvest timber on our lands but instead we have en- 

 gaged in a business relationship with Klukwan Forest Products 

 Corporation, another Village Corporation, whereby Klukwan har- 

 vests the timber for us. Under our present harvest schedule we 

 have only one to two years of timber harvesting left. Thereafter we 

 will have about 50 years before the next rotational harvest can 

 begin. Our position on the Tongass closely reflects the revised posi- 

 tion expressed by the Alaska Loggers Association in its Policy 

 Statement of March 17, 1989. In particular Cape Fox supports the 

 following: 



A. The Tongass Land Use Management Plan process should be 

 continued. The Forest Service has worked with all the parties in 

 the region to develop a sound management plan for the Tongass. 

 Cape Fox Corporation applauds the Forest Service's efforts and en- 

 courages the Congress not to impede the Forest Service in its at- 

 tempt to accomplish its multiple-use objectives. 



B. Maintain Economic Timber Supply. Congress should not 

 reduce the allowable sale quantity on the Tongass below 4.5 billion 

 board feet per decade. Cape Fox Corporation does not recommend a 

 mandated cut or any minimum harvest level. Rather, the actual 

 harvest levels should be determined by supply and demand and ap- 

 propriate forestry management techniques. 



Congress should ensure access to marginal timber stands on the 

 Tongass. We recommend an intensive management fund of eight- 

 een million per year to do preloading, reforestation and thinning 

 and protect fisheries habitat and fisheries enhancement in areas 

 with marginal timber stands. The Forest Service should manage 

 the forest according to principles of multiple-use, including provid- 

 ing economically viable timber sales to all operators of the Tongass 

 forest. 



There are areas in the Tongass that should not be included in 

 the commercial timber harvest. Cape Fox recommends the transfer 

 of special lands into conservation units or protected areas. In par- 



