624 



multiplied many times over, culminating in one great exodus out of 

 Alaska. 



In this regard, I appeal to the conscience of all members of Con- 

 gress in both houses to incorporate in the Tongass Reform Act the 

 following: 



Provide for a mechanism of compensation for all mill employees 

 that will be displaced or laid off because of such legislation, a com- 

 pensation package lasting for five years to enable the employees to 

 readjust their lives, relocate, and survive through after the closure 

 of the mills; provide for funds for the vocational retraining and 

 career change for such displaced mill employees; and compensate 

 the mills for the invested millions they stand to lose resulting from 

 the unilateral abrogation of their contract with the U.S. Bureau of 

 Forestry for a guaranteed harvest of timber for a period of 50 

 years. I thank you. 



Senator Wirth. Thank you, Mr. Milla. 



Mr. Haciyan. 



STATEMENT OF YETVART HACIYAN 



Mr. Haciyan. Mr. Chairman, Senators, members of the subcom- 

 mittee. My name is Yetvart Haciyan. I live and work in Sitka. For 

 the past two and a half years I have been employed by Alaska Pulp 

 Corporation as a lab technician. 



I am glad to have the opportunity to testify today. I support 

 Senate Bill 237, sponsored by our Alaskan Senator Frank Murkow- 

 ski. I feel strongly the other Tongass bill before your committee 

 would have a devastating impact on our company and would even- 

 tually result in the loss of my job, along with the other 400 workers 

 at the mill. 



I enjoy working for Alaska Pulp Corporation, I enjoy hunting 

 and fishing in the area and hope to be able to make payments on 

 the new boat I just bought until it is paid for and to be able to 

 hunt and fish here for a long time. 



Thank you. 



Senator Wirth. Thank you, Mr. Haciyan. 



Mr. Kobylus. 



STATEMENT OF TERRY KOBYLUS 



Mr. Kobylus. My name is Terry Kobylus. I am a native Alaskan 

 and I was raised in Juneau, Alaska. I work and spend 90 percent of 

 my time in Hawk Inlet on Admiralty Island. My family has 

 hunted, fished, camped, and enjoyed recreation in the Tongass for 

 four generations. My grandfather worked in the timber industry 

 during the war and then in the mining industry in Juneau, which 

 was that town's economic backbone before government. 



The Tongass National Forest has always been our home and our 

 work place. 



I live in one of the many communities surrounded by the Ton- 

 gass National Forest. It does not take an expert to realize the de- 

 pendency of these communities upon the forest resources. These re- 

 source industries, such as timber, mining, fishing, and tourism con- 

 tribute to the schools, roads, transportation systems, airports, boat 

 harbors, as well as local municipalities. By purposefully jerking the 



