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Alaska Loggers Association, Inc. 



level. In exchange for the wilderness designated in Section 703, 

 these people were assured that their jobs would be protected. 

 Section 705 allowed a harvest level of up to 4.5 billion board feet 

 per decade or less than one-third of the commercial timber on the 

 Tongass. 



Following this legislation and relying on the word of 

 Congress, these people have invested in over 23 logging communities 

 and logging operations that supply four large sawmills and two pulp 

 mills together with many small fixed and portable sawmills. All 

 of these logging communities are established in remote sites and 

 many are complete with families and schools. All of these 

 communities are site specific to a particular timber sale whether 

 independent or long term and jointly make up an integrated system 

 of supply to the dependent pulp and sawmills. Any substantial 

 change in where or how much harvesting will take place (for 

 example, cancellation of the long term sales) will cause a 

 wholesale loss of jobs throughout these communities that will 

 result in unprecedented dislocations and hardships. 



Any reduction in timber supply will also upset the 

 exchange of pulp and sawlogs that allows the sawmills and pulp 

 mills to operate efficiently. It is not possible to run half of 

 a pulp mill or only part of a sawmill. 



. If S. 346 becomes law, our members and their employees 

 will feel betrayed by a Congress that breaks its word and their 

 contracts. We support passage of S. 237 introduced by our Alaska 

 delegation that allows us to retain our industry, our jobs and our 

 unique life style. 



Our full position is set forth in the attached policy 

 paper which everyone connected with our industry in Southeast 

 Alaska has agreed to. This includes big and small operator and 

 those who operate on public and private land. It calls for 

 maintaining jobs and protecting other resources. We urge you to 

 review it carefully. 



One more thing - we understand that there may be some 

 Native villages that feel they may qualify under ANSCA. We ask you 

 to investigate and resolve their issue if needed as part of Tongass 

 legislation. 



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