483 



the exchange accomplished, because it was the concern of many of 

 us that it was an opportunity to save Admiralty. His obligation is 

 to the shareholders of Shee Atika, first of all, not necessarily Con- 

 gress. 



It was a very, very important situation all the way around and, 

 you know, you could point fmgers at everybody and everything and 

 it was the inability of the parties to get together and give up some 

 land for the exchange. 



Senator Wirth. Well, I am just curious as to why there was not 

 legislation? 



Senator Murkowski. They could not get together. 



Senator Wirth. Why was not legislation introduced to allow the 

 land exchange to occur and who could not get together? 



Senator Murkowski. Well, the negotiations involved Mo Udall, 

 the Alaska Congressional Delegation, the Forest Service, Sealaska, 

 Shee Atika, Environmental groups, the Wilderness Society, Sierra 

 Club. Maybe that is why they did not have it. 



[General applause.] 



Senator Wirth. I still do not understand. [Laughter.] 



The only people on that list that are legislators are Udall and 

 Seiberling, and I assume there were people from the Senate side 

 introducing legislation as well Where was the land that you all 

 were trying to exchange. Admiralty to something else? Where was 

 the land that you all wanted to exchange for? 



Mr. Senna. Senator, Shee Atika was perfectly happy with the 

 Admiralty Island property. 



Senator Wirth. You all wanted the timber all along. The allega- 

 tion is in May somehow somebody was standing in the way of a 

 reasonable trade. I am just trying to understand what transpired 

 here. 



Mr. Senna. There were certain public interest groups that 

 wanted Shee Atika out of Admiralty Island. 



Voice. And I was one of them. 



Mr. Senna. And we would have- been willing. It was not at our 

 initiation. We would have been willing, in order to go along with 

 the public interest, to get off of Admiralty Island if we would have 

 received full value in exchange for our interest on Admiralty 

 Island. 



Senator Wirth. You wanted to trade your interest on Admiralty 

 Island for wilderness land, is that right? 



Mr. Senna. I did not care — we did not care whether it was wil- 

 derness or any other kind of land. We wanted equal value. 



Senator Murkowski. They wanted to do what Kotzebue was able 

 to do, Mr. Chairman. 



Senator Wirth. You could not pull it off? 



Senator Murkowski. I just told you why. They wanted to do 

 what Kutzebue was able to do. All the parties were there and I 

 tried to pull it off. 



Senator Wirth. And it did not happen? 



Senator Murkowski. It sure did not and I just read you the list 

 why. 



Senator Wirth. Well, I heard there were various unelected par- 

 ties who were involved, and where there are some unelected par- 

 ties, is that the reason why this trade did not occur? 



