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CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE TO THEM, IN RETURN FOR AN EMPLOYMENT 

 OPPORTUNITY WITH OUR FIRM. 



THE COMPANY GREW AND I REINVESTED OUR PROFITS INTO THE 

 BUSINESS. OUR COMPANY IS LOCATED IN THORNE BAY, A COMMUNITY 

 ALMOST TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON A HEALTHY TIMBER INDUSTRY. ALL 

 OF MY EMPLOYEES LIVE IN THE THORNE BAY AREA AND OUR PAYROLL 

 ALONE CONTRIBUTES CLOSE TO A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR INTO 

 THIS LOCAL ECONOMY. THIS IS A DIREST BENEFIT TO THE 

 COMMUNITY AS EMPLOYEE DOLLARS ARE SPENT IN THE LOCAL AREA. 

 PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT OUR COMPANY IN ONLY ONE OF SE'v'ERAL 

 SMALL INDEPENDENT COMPANIES IN THE THORNE BAY AREA DOING THE 

 SAME THING. OUR COMPANY ALS.O SUPPORTS TWO INDEPENDENT 

 SUB-CONTRACTORS AND THEIR FAMILIES. A DOLLAR EARNED IN THE 

 FOREST OF S.E.ALASKA IS TURNED OVER MANY TIMES. MY VENDORS 

 AND SUPPLIERS IN THE REGICN ARE PAID OVER TWO MILLION 

 DOLLARS A YEAR. THESE DOLLARS STAY IN THE REGION, CREATING 

 INDIRECT JOBS. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND, THAT MINE IS A SMALL 

 COMPANY, THERE ARE OVER 100 SMALL COMPANIES SIMILAR TO MINE, 

 DOING BUSINESS HERE ON THE TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST. 



SENATE BILL 346 INTRODUCED BY SENATOR WIRTH OF 

 COLORADO, CALLS FOR TERMINATI(>i OF THE 50 YEAR CONTRACTS 

 WITHIN ^0 DAYS OF ENACTMENT OF LAW. THE BILL ALSO REDUCES 

 THE ALLOWABLE CUT FROM 4.5 BILLION BOARD FEET PER DECADE TO 

 3.38 BBF/PER DECADE. SENATOR WIRTH, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT 

 WILL HAPPEN TO OUR COMPANY AND MANY MORE LIKE US, IF YOUR 

 BILL WERE TO PASS. FIRST OF ALL IT IS OBVIOUS TI-WT THERE 

 WOULD NOT BE THE NEED TO HAVE AS MANY INDEPENDENT'S AS 

 PRESENT DUE TO THE REDUCED TIMBER SUPPLY. SCWE OF US WILL 

 LOOSE OUR COMPANIES, OUR EMPLOYEES WILL LOOSE THEIR JOBS! 

 ALSO WE ARE TOLD THAT IF THE CONTRACTS WERE TERMINATED, IT 

 WOULD TAKE THE U.S.FOREST SERVICE UP TO TWO YEARS TO PREPARE 

 INDEPENDENT TIMBER SALES AND TO GET THE SYSTEM ROLLING 

 AGAIN. TELL ME SENATOR, COULD YOU AFFORD TO HAVE YOUR 

 INVESTMENTS SIT I DEL FOR THAT LENGHT OF TIME? I CERTAINLY 

 CAN'T. THERE ARE NOT MANY OPTIONS FOR A COMPANY LIKE MINE, 

 I CAN'T AFFORD TO BUILD STATE OR FEDERAL HIGHWAYS, I CAN'T 

 AFFORD THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN REQUIRED BONDS TO EVEN BIT 

 ON THOSE JOBS. BESIDES OUR FEDERAL HIGHWAY HERE IS OUR 

 INLAND WATER WAY, AND MOST OF OUR STATE HIGI-ftJAY IS RECLAIMED 

 TIMBER ACCESS ROADS. THE ENVIROMENTAL LOBBY SUGGESTS THAT 

 WE ARE BUILDING ROADS ON THIS FOREST JUST TO HAUL LOGS ON. 

 NOT SO, THE ROADS ARE BUILT INITIALLY TO ACCESS THE TIMBER, 

 BUT AFTER THE TIMBER IS HARVESTED THE ROAD THEN BECOMES PART 

 OF THE ACCESS NETWORK TO THE LOCAL AREAS AND COMMUNITIES. 

 IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE FULL COST OF BUILDING A 

 ROAD INTO A HARVEST AREA IS ABSORBED ON THE INITIAL HARVEST 

 ENTRY AND NOT ABSORBED OVER THE LONG TERM. MANY TIMES I 

 HAVE ACCESSED AREAS FOR TIMBER HARVEST THAT HAVE OPENED UP 

 NEW AND UNIQUE RECREATIONAL AREAS FOR LAKE FISHING, CAMPING, 

 AND MINERAL EXPLORATION, TO NAME A FEW. THE PUBLIC TAKES 

 FULL ADVANTAGE OF THESE ACCESS OPPORTUNITIES. 



