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a different area. I have worked on this job for about five years now. 

 This happened to me about five years ago because of a similar situ- 

 ation and I did not like being unemployed and looking for work to 

 support my family. If this bill is passed it would be devastating, not 

 only to me and my family, but to the economy of the entire State 

 of Alaska. Let us keep our jobs and support the state. 



Thank you for listening. 



Senator Wirth. Thank you very much Mr. Watkins. 



Mr. Zimmerman. 



STATEMENT OF ABE ZIMMERMAN 



Mr. Zimmerman. There was something I wanted to address, a 

 comment that you made earlier, I believe, that your bill does not 

 necessarily say that it wants the industry to be shut down. It does 

 not say it would not and I just thought I would bring that to light 

 first. 



Possibly I have a self-serving mentality, like people with oppos- 

 ing views, but I am not trying to destroy industry that has proved 

 itself beneficial in many aspects thus depriving many families of 

 their livelihood and the homes that they have come to enjoy. We 

 live in this area by choice and not out of necessity and the thought 

 of relocation to somewhere else is not very appealing to most of us. 



If what we are talking about does pass, I feel we will be taking a 

 giant step backwards; useful productive citizens being forced into 

 an already overcrowded job market with all the attending major in- 

 conveniences involved does not seem like progress. Relocation and 

 retraining does not appear very attractive when there are so few 

 industries where a future exists for peoples' careers as solid as the 

 future should be in the lumber and pulp industry. 



We need to remember that what we may like may not be what is 

 the best for the environment, which I believe is the point in ques- 

 tion. 



Ladies and gentlemen, we are working with a program where 

 people, wildlife and the forest itself can all live together and all 

 benefit. We are in a remote area where there is virtually no unem- 

 ployment or any need for welfare programs under the current leg- 

 islation. We are proud of being able to contribute our share and 

 hope we will be able to continue to do so. 



If we are forced out, the impact on the area would be devastat- 

 ing. I cannot believe that the fishing and tourism industries can 

 support our area without the help of the wood products industry. 



Thanks for taking the time to listen to us. 



Senator Wirth. Thank you very much, and we thank all four of 

 you. 



I think your testimony summed it up just right, Mr. Zimmerman 

 when you said that you are working for a program where people, 

 wildlife and the forest itself can all live together and all benefit. 

 That is the balance we are searching for and I think that as you 

 pointed out as well, Mr. Zimmerman, there is nothing in either 

 piece of legislation that says that the industry would shut down. 

 Now there is nothing in either piece of legislation that — or any- 

 where that says that industry will stay open. What we are after is 



