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The Southeast Alaska Natural Resources Center 



130 Seward Street . PO. Box 20212 . Juneau, Alaska 99802 » (907) 463-5333 



STATEMENT OF JOSEPH R. MEHRKENS OF THE SOUTHEAST ALASKA NATURAL 

 RESOURCES CENTER ON THE TONGASS TIMBER REFORM ACT, BEFORE THE 

 SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, APRIL 24, 

 1989, KETCHIKAN, ALASKA. 



Mr. chairman, I am Joseph R. Mehrkens. I represent the 

 Southeast Alaska Natural Resources Center located in Juneau, 

 Alaska. The Center is a joint venture between The Wilderness 

 Society and the Underhill Foundation. The Center's work is 

 directed at improving the economic and ecological management of 

 the Tongass National Forest. 



I have lived in Southeast Alaska for 14 years. Early in my 

 career with the Forest Service, I worked as a forest hydrologist 

 on the Stikine Area of the Tongass. When I resigned from the 

 agency in 1987, I was regional forest economist for the Alaska 

 Region. One of my principal duties as regional economist was to 

 prepare Tongass timber supply and demand reports to Congress 

 required by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act 

 (ANILCA) . 



My statement is in support of S. 346. This bill will 

 strengthen the region's economy, especially if the 23 areas now 

 proposed for a five-year logging moratorium are permanently 

 protected. Local communities, professional resource managers 

 and various trade organizations have identified these areas as 

 economically important. They contain important wildlife and 

 fisheries values that are vital for commercial fishing, 

 subsistence uses, recreation, and tourism. 



In 1980, when Congress acted on the Alaska Lands 

 legislation jobs were a major issue. At that time, timber 

 employment was at record levels due to favorable market 

 conditions. From 1981 to 1986, timber employment declined due 

 to poor market conditions — despite large public subsidies used 

 to make Tongass timber available to the industry. Today's 

 record timber employment is the result of a market recovery 

 dominated by intensive logging on private lands. 



A Joint Project of The Wilderness Society and The Underhill Foundation 



