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lives of a few thousand people in the timber and related industries 

 and their families if Congress passes the Wirth bill. 



There is no reason for this to happen. People in other places 

 seem to think that we are out to cut down every tree in Alaska 

 when we are really cutting only a very small percentage of one 

 forest that is bigger than some states. 



Why does not Congress find a way to get the true information to 

 the people so they will know what is really going on up here. For 

 that matter, why does not Congress find out the true facts before 

 they vote on southeast Alaskan's livelihoods and futures. 



I am really convinced that Senator Wirth and Congressman 

 Mrazak do not have the faintest idea about the amount of timber 

 and land that are truly involved. They also do not seem to know or 

 care about how many lives they will be affecting. They seem to be 

 more worried about how many votes they are going to receive for 

 closing us down. Come on now, Senators, are those votes really 

 worth all the hardship you are attempting to bring down on us? 



In my opinion, the Senators should take care of their own states 

 and let our Senators tend to Alaska's business. 



Please support our Senator, Senator Murkowski and his bill, 

 Senate Bill 237. 



Thank you. 



Senator Wirth. Thank you. 



Mr. Nylund. 



STATEMENT OF JIM NYLUND 



Mr. Nylund. Gentlemen, I am Jim Nylund and a carpenter mill- 

 wright for Alaska Pulp Corporation. I am also an artist who works 

 with nature. My paintings, my prints, and my photographs are as 

 real as you could want. 



I was raised up in Washington and Oregon. I have seen the ef- 

 fects of large scale logging and of fire in our timberlands. With 

 good management, both will insure timber *"orever. 



With nearly 40 percent of all of southeast Alaska already classi- 

 fied as wilderness, it is just plain simple to see that that is enough. 

 I consider myself an environmentalist. However, the worst thing 

 we can do for our forest is let it grow to overmaturity. Once a tree 

 reaches maturity, it starts to rot from the inside out. 



I am 47 now and I have watched the cutover and the burned over 

 lands and the lands that have been replanted. All do better than 

 the old forests. An old forest is just that — old. These old forests are 

 not the best for deer. An example would be the size of the Sitka 

 deer, which is the same blacktail you have in western Washington 

 and Oregon. Open up the timber and the deer will get larger. 



When I see and hear of the special interest groups that want 

 more wilderness, it makes me not want to be an environmentalist. 

 Like the term worm watcher, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. 



I support Senate Bill 237 by Senator Murkowski. 



Senator Wirth. Thank you. 



Mr. Ranger. 



