635 



Senator Wirth. Thank you very much, Mrs. Bickar. 

 Mr. Larsen. 



STATEMENT OF TED LARSEN 



Mr. Larsen. I am Ted Larsen, owner of Computer Systems. I 

 have lived in Sitka for over 21 years and have been involved in the 

 timber industry for the first 15 years in various positions. I have 

 spent the best part of my life right here in Sitka and I own my 

 home, car, and boat. 



If the economy of Sitka is lowered by any drsistic measure, such 

 as the passing of the Wirth bill, S. 346, it would reduce my life sav- 

 ings and leave me to be on the welfare rolls along with a lot of 

 people who have purchsised or built a home here with the idea that 

 all major businesses would be around for a significant amount of 

 time. I do not want to retire yet as I cannot afford to and I am sure 

 not ready to quit my lifestyle because some senators from other 

 states think they know more about Alaska than the majority of the 

 people who live here. 



Senator Wirth, you have already been told by the majority of the 

 people at these hearings that your bill is not viable for the Tongass 

 National Forest, for the industries that use it, and mostly for the 

 people who have been depending on it for a livelihood. 



Over 40 percent of my business has been directly with mill work- 

 ers and people in the logging industry and if I lose that business I 

 would have to shut my doors. 



Senator Murkowski, your bill, S. 237, is not the best solution for 

 the timber industry but at least they can live with it. It shows that 

 the timber industry is willing to give up some things so they can 

 continue to provide jobs for the people of southeast Alaska. 



Thanks for the opportunity to speak and I hope my words have 

 not gone on deaf ears. 



Senator Wirth. Thank you, Mr. Larsen. 



Mr. Billings. 



STATEMENT OF LEO BILLINGS 



Mr. Billings. Yes, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, 

 I would like to take this time to thank you for the opportunity to 

 testify here today. 



I am Leo Billings. I am an owner and managing partner in a log- 

 ging firm in Ketchikan, Alaska. I have been in the logging business 

 in southeast Alaska for 35 years. 



Presently my company is logging and road building up on Revil- 

 lagigido Island. We employ 90 people directly and 60 indirectly, 

 subcontracting. Our pa5T*oll and the subcontractors cost up to well 

 over $6 million annually. 



We are an independent logger and we are working on native 

 land. However, this supply is limited and we are moving towards 

 the federal lands for our operations. 



The mill is vital to our industry as it is a market for the low 

 grade timber. To make our operations economically viable we must 

 log all of the logs available, low and high grade wood. Cancelling 

 the remaining 15 years on the long term contract will not help but, 

 rather, will hurt our economy. 



