626 



TESTIMONY OF ^F€m KOBYLUS 



BEFORE SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE 



OF TONGASS REFORM LEGISLATION 



MY NAME IS TERI KOBYLUS. I AM NATIVE ALASKAN AND I WAS RAISED IN 

 JUNEAU, ALASKA. I WORK AND SPEND 90/< OF MY TIME IN HAWK INLET ON 

 ADMIRALTY ISLAND. MY FAMILY HAS HUNTED, FISHED, CAMPED AND ENJOYED 

 RECREATING IN THE TONGASS FOR 4 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 

 WORKPLACE. I WENT TO HIGHSCHOOL IN JUNEAU AND THEN ON TO COLLEGE IN 

 ANCHORAGE. MY FAMILY AND I HAVE LIVED OUR WHOLE LIVES IN ALASKA AND 

 PLAN TO CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS STATE OUR HOME. 



: LIVE IN ONE OF THE MANY COMMUNITIES SURROUNDED BY THE TONGASS 

 NATIONAL FOREST. IT DOES NOT TAKE AN EXPERT TO REALIZE THE DEPENDENCY 

 OF THESE COMMUNITIES UPON THE FOREST RESOURCES. THESE RESOURCE 

 INDUSTRIES SUCH AS TIMBER, MINING. FISHING, AND TOURISM CONTRIBUTE TO 

 THE SCHOOLS, ROADS, TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS, AIRPORTS, BOAT HARBORS. 

 DSCKIi . AS WELL AS LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES. BY PURPOSFULLY JERKING THE 

 RUG OUT OF ANY ONE OF THESE RESOURCE INDUSTRIES IS LIKE PULLING THE 

 PLUG ON ANY ONE OF OUR SOUTHEAST COMMUNITIES. 



