413 



TESTIMONY OF 



DIANE M. ZIEL 



for the 



CITY OF TENAKEE SPRINGS 

 before the Senate Subcocmattee on 



PUBLIC LANDS, NATIC»IAL PARKS AND FORESTS 

 on the 



TONGASS TIMBER REFORM ACT 

 S.346 and S. 237 



My Name is Di£u-ie Ziel . I am a member of the City Council and a f orrier nayor of 

 the City of Tenakee Springs. 



Thank you for the opportunity to tisl iCy huL-fonj thus subconmittee on behalf »£ 

 Tenakee Springs, a cortmunity that has been draslica) ly affei:terl by present 

 mismanagement of the Tongass. 



As evidenced by the resolutions and letters that are a part of my written 

 testimony, Tenakee Springs has long supported Toiiyass reform. I am here to 

 testify in favor of Senator Wirth's bill, S. .346, and against Senator Murkou'ski ' « 

 bill, S. 237. 



The City of Tenakee Springs would like to see the following changes made in 

 Tongass Manageinent: replacanent of the 50 year contracts with short term, 

 competitive bid contracts, and an end to the Tongass Timber Supply Fund and the 

 mandated 4.5 billion board feet per decade Timber Supply Goal. These policies 

 have been a particular bane to Tenakee Springs and the surrounding area and we 

 feel very strongly that they must be changed. 



In numerous public meetings in our cotmunity. Forest Service personnel have 

 stated that they were unable to consider the needs of our cornainity, first 

 because of the 50 year contracts, and after ANILCA was passed Ix-ause of the 450 

 mandate. Our comunity has had to go to Federal Court to halt illegal ro.=ii3 

 building funded by the Tongass Timber Supply Eiind. 



In addition we feel that there are key areas in the Tongass that need perrrvinent 

 protection from clearcutting. 



Three areas of particular infortance to Ten^ikee residents are Trap Bay, Kadashan 

 and the Goose Flats area. 



Kadashan is one of the top five pink salmon cind one of the top ten chum salmcn 

 producers in Southeast Alaska. In addition, Jt lkartx:)rs a wide variety of 

 wildlife and waterfowl. In 1985, the economic value of the Pink 5v^Inion run nlonc 

 was over one million dollars. Kadashan's continuing value for fish, wililliff an<] 

 recreation far outweighs the dubious value of harvesting timber in this 

 watershed . 



