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area, now and in the future. The coastal range is teeming with 

 mineral deposits which have already been identified to some extent 

 and in some instances are in the process of being brought into pro- 

 duction. However, beyond that there are many areas of high poten- 

 tial which everyone agrees may prove to harbor even bigger depos- 

 its. 



In the view of the mining industry in southeast Alaska this legis- 

 lation is grossly deficient insofar as it ignores existing mining ac- 

 tivities and more importantly its potential. First, the surface man- 

 agement prescriptions almost undoubtedly will make mining and 

 mineral development more difficult. Second, if areas are restricted 

 or closed to mineral entry then the deposits which such areas may 

 contain will be lost forever. Third, such an exercise will be con- 

 trary to the national mineral policy. While the mining law of 1872 

 constitutes important protection to the future of mining as one of 

 America's few remaining domestic basic industries, the encroach- 

 ment of wilderness areas on the public domain restrict and restrain 

 the growth of this important industry. 



We are not asking that any special protections be given to the 

 mineral industry in this legislation. We are only asking that we be 

 allowed to continue to seek and develop deposits in the Tongass. 

 Mining does not create anywhere near the surface impact of clear- 

 cutting but it does require some surface disturbance. There is a dif- 

 ference to be understood between exploration and mining as well. 

 Exploration requires large areas to be open and available but 

 mining requires only a small surface footprint. 



However, roads to tidewater must be built; power line right-of- 

 ways must be utilized; site development, camp facilities, docks, tail- 

 ings disposal sites and loading terminals are all a part of the re- 

 quirements for building a mine. They can be built with sensitivity 

 to the environment and they need not constitute an aesthetic 

 insult. The Greens Creek Mine only involves a total surface impact 

 of 318 acres, most of which is involved in the road from the portal 

 to tidewater and that is the total surface impact that mine will 

 ever require. 



What we are asking is that when you draft this bill you make it 

 perfectly clear that there will be no new inhibitions on mineral ex- 

 ploration and development in the Tongass. It is that simple. We un- 

 derstand the debates concerning the impacts of logging in the Ton- 

 gass and while we sympathize with our brothers in the timber in- 

 dustry we can offer no suggestions to you as to how to solve that 

 problem other than to say that their concerns are genuine. We 

 need a strong timber industry in this region just as we need a 

 strong mining industry so please understand that we support their 

 objectives; however, do not sacrifice the mining industry in order to 

 resolve the conflicts between the environmentalists and the log- 

 gers. 



Senator Wirth. Thank you very much, Mr. MacKinnon. 



[The prepared statement of Mr. MacKinnon follows:] 



