534 



have any kind of an inventory figure of what is out there available 

 to harvest? 



Mr. RoppEL. I can give it to you in relative terms. There were 

 about 500,000 acres of timberland that was transferred to native 

 corporations in Southeast Alaska, and they started receiving those 

 lands in 1979. Some of the corporations have now cut through, 

 roughly half of them, the timber allotments that they had received. 

 Others, several others, will be finishing up the timber plan that 

 they have in the next couple of years. The largest timber holder 

 has a plan that I have heard, and I hope I will not be criticized for 

 speaking, I have heard that their timber plan goes on for about an- 

 other 10 or 12 years, but it is on a reduced basis, compared to what 

 it was. Where it had been harvesting up to 400 million feet a year, 

 that harvest will gradually then go down to about 100 million in 

 the next couple of years. And then we will be back totally on a na- 

 tional forest supply at that time. 



Senator Burns. I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman. 



Senator Wirth. Thank you. Senator Burns. 



I was struck by the large welcome party that met us yesterday at 

 the airport, and I appreciated that warm Alaska welcome. I had an 

 interesting time talking to a number of people, a number of the 

 people that work for you. How many of the people that came work 

 for your company, Mr. Roppel? 



Mr. Roppel. I do not know. Probably half of them. I am guessing. 



Senator Wirth. And were the buses that brought them from the 

 plant to the airport and then back again rented by you all? 



Mr. Roppel. Yes. 



Senator Wirth. Were the people paid during the time they were 

 at the airport? 



Mr. Roppel. Some of them, and some were not. 



Senator Wirth. How were some paid and some not? Was it some 

 were working at the time and others were off and not working and 

 were not paid? 



Mr. Roppel. That is correct. I just might answer that. I anticipat- 

 ed this question would be asked. I cannot imagine why it would not 

 be. However, it is a policy at our factory that if you go serve on 

 jury duty or have other public programs they do not suffer econom- 

 ic hardship because of that. Many of our people came to us and 

 said that they wanted to participate, they wanted to express their 

 views. Their views were very strong, they felt very strongly on 

 them. We did not coerce or ask anybody, and those that wanted to 

 went and those that did not stayed on at work. 



Senator Wirth. How many people that came out to the Airport 

 are residents of Alaska? All of them? 



Mr. Roppel. I would say probably right now outside of Alaska — 

 we have a factory shut down right now by the way. They have been 

 down for about a week doing maintenance work, and we have a 

 total of about 190 contract people that are there. I understand that 

 147 of those are in-state hires and the balance came from out of 

 state. So, there are probably 80 or 90, maybe, out-of-state employ- 

 ees that are working. How many of those came, I have no idea. 



Senator Wirth. Where are the in-state hires from? 



Mr. Roppel. Well, from Sitka 



