372 

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



STATEMENT OF LYDIA GEORGE, CITY COUNCIL OF ANGOON, AK 



Ms. George. My name is Lydia George. 



The City of Angoon is right on the Tongass National Forest, Ad- 

 miralty Island, and the City Council of Angoon would like to ex- 

 press their appreciation for the opportunity to express our position 

 on the 705 (a) provisions of ANILCA, which establishes a 4.5 billion 

 board feet per decade timber supply and an off budget, unappropri- 

 ated $40 million per year to access marginal timber and for other 

 purposes, which directly benefit the long-term contracts of Alaska 

 Pulp Company and Ketchikan Pulp Company. 



The City of Angoon welcomes the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on 

 Public Lands National Parks and Forest to the State of Alaska and 

 would like the committee to focus its attention to the concerns of 

 our community and the lands surrounding the municipality as it 

 exists and will exist for generations to come. 



Over the past decade, the Federal Government has extinguished 

 a program that the U.S. citizens of this Nation, living within the 

 boundaries of a municipality, have directly benefitted from, the 

 Federal Revenue Sharing Program. The timber industry continues 

 to receive a subsidy from the Federal Government. 



There are three struggling industries within our state. The com- 

 mercial fisheries, which is the oldest industry within our state, has 

 been a hard-hit industry over the past three decades and continues 

 to decline. The Commercial Fishing Industry receives no Federal 

 subsidy for recovery. This industry now faces the possibility of ex- 

 tinction due to the oil spill in Valdez. 



The tourism industry is a new industry that is being developed 

 in the State of Alaska and the benefits of this industry are derived 

 by the State of Alaska and the urban communities. This industry is 

 not federally subsidized. 



The native corporations in Southeast Alaska are involved in the 

 Timber Market within the State of Alaska and receive no Federal 

 subsidy to continue their participation in the timber industry. 



There is one reality that has developed here in the community of 

 Sitka during the implementation of the 705(a) provision of 

 ANILCA. The timber industry was in a depressed state, and ALP 

 had an agreement with their employees to take a reduction in ben- 

 efits and wages so that the industry could survive the depressed 

 period of the timber market. When the market recovered, the em- 

 ployees requested that the wages and benefits also recover and 

 went on strike. 



[The prepared statement of Ms. George follows:] 



