605 



this definition. These people have valid and serious concerns and should 

 always be listened to. 



Then we have the "Preservationists" who would like to qualify as 



"environmentalists" because it sounds less threatening to our 

 local citizens. These are a small core of paid individuals - 

 receiving money, legal and moral support from outside the State 

 of Alaska and they in no way have the interests of the common 

 citizens of the State of Alaska on their agenda. The total purpose 

 in proposing Senator Wirth's Tongass Timber Reform Act is to continue 

 the further withdrawal of public lands from multiple use management 

 with the eventual goal of having Southeast Alaska as one big preserve. 

 It will them become a huge National Park that the average American 

 citizen would never have the opportunity to visit or take advantage 

 of. 



When I worked for the U.S. Forest Service in the late 1970's 

 I was a member of the forest inventory team. It was through that 

 five-year cycle of inventory that we developed the commercial 

 forest land base and determined that there was not enough economically 

 viable timber base to support a third pulp mill contract as was 

 proposed for the Juneau area. It is good management information 

 such as this derived through professional techniques that allows 

 our National Forest managers to make valid decisions regarding 

 the multiple use management of our public lands — not emotional, 

 irrelevant and misguided debate in the hallowed halls of Congress. 

 What do we have professional managers in the field for if we 



