623 



STATEMENT OF LARRY WRIGHT 



Mr. Wright. I am Larry Wright. I am a lifetime Alaskan resi- 

 dent with the majority of time in southeast Alaska. I returned to 

 Sitka about two and a half years ago when I was hired by Alaska 

 Pulp Corporation. 



I wanted to return because I enjoyed fishing and activities of this 

 area and did so with the knowledge of APC's 50-year contract and 

 the steady employment it guaranteed. 



Since then I have acquired a commercial fishing vessel and 

 permit. For many years I have viewed the logging industry and its 

 effects on the fisheries and I can say that the industry has done all 

 it is aware of to improve fisheries and environmental quality. 



I support Senator Murkowski's bill because it will allow the 

 area's economy to remain stable, as well as the lifestyle I enjoy. 



I recently read an article from an environmental group com- 

 plaining about these hearings being at a time inconvenient to 

 them. I want to inform you that they are very inconvenient to me 

 and the other AFC workers as we are now in the process of restart- 

 ing our mill after our annual maintenance shutdown. 



Thank you. 



Senator Wirth. Thank you very much, Mr. Wright. 



Mr. Milla. 



STATEMENT OF NAPOLEON MILLA 



Mr. Milla. Members of the committee and ladies and gentlemen, 

 I thank you for allowing me to speak before you this afternoon. 



The lifeblood of the pulp mills in Alaska is in the continuous ex- 

 istence of wood to be manufactured into pulp. Any legislation that 

 denies these mills such harvest of timber for their raw material se- 

 riously threatens that industry as well as the livelihood of all its 

 employees. 



If I lost my job at the mill I would be totally devastated, as well 

 as would my family. I have a wife and three kids to feed, clothe, 

 shelter, and educate. Bills, rents, fees, taxes and obligations come 

 with each passing month with unbroken regularity. In the face of 

 this, I entirely depend on my paycheck to defray all this cost of 

 keeping my family and myself alive. Loss of livelihood at my age of 

 50 will impose untold hardships and uncertain future for me and 

 my family. 



The AFC has been very generous to us, giving me a well paying 

 job, regular bonuses, health, medical and retirement benefits, and 

 through enlightened management has provided a safe and satisfy- 

 ing work environment. 



Should Congress legislate a restrictive Tongass reform, it would 

 adversely affect the ability of AFC to provide the salaries and bene- 

 fits it has thus far been able to extend to us. It would also threaten 

 the viability of its operations and jeopardize its millions of invest- 

 ments in Alaska's timber industry. Then the good life that we 

 know now will come to pass into just treasured memories of yester- 

 day. Every day after that will always be an uphill struggle to keep 

 body and soul together. After the last savings are gone, with deep 

 regrets, soon we have to depart from Alaska. This scenario will be 



