ion of the Resource

"If the Tongass is included in a national roadless policy, I would consider this to be an outrage and a double-cross on the Ask about First National's menu of business loans, citizens of . As customized to satisfy your appetite. Governor, I would be compelled to do everything within my I I power to protect the families and communities This road along the southern shore of Montague Islandprovided access to Chugach Alaska I Corporation lands inside the Chugach National Forest. After the timber was harvested, the of Southeast Alaska." corporation was forced to obliterate the road. If the Chugach and Tongass National Forests Equipment loans are included in President Clinton's proposed forest protection policy, an additional 14.8 -Governor Tony Knowles Commercial real estate and million acres of land in Alaska could potentially be closed to road construction, mining, real estate investment loans tourism and other activities requiring access. (Photo by Carl Portman) Construction loans

0 Line of credit Inventory financing

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Anchorage area call Governor Knowles calls roadless policy an outrage, double-cross

Other areas call President Bill Clinton's sweeping the U.S. over the next 12 months. harvesting on a rotation cycle of up to initiative to potentially close some 40 The Tongass contains more 200-years. or the branch nearest vou. , million acres of wild lands in national roadless areas than any other national The new policy would strike a fatal forestsfrom road building, logging, min- forest, some 9.4 million of the forest's blow to what remains of the region's

i ing and other development would drive 17 million acres. Of the Tongass' 5.6 timber industry. With the closures, the o the final nail in the coffin for Southeast million acre commercial timber base, Alaska Forest Association warns that Alaska's timber industry if the plan is 576,000 acres are available to logging the forest would be capable of yielding Resource Development Council applied to the Tongass National Forest. under the recently-revised Tongass less than 50 million board feet of timber Bulk Rate 121 W. Fireweed, Suite 250 The White House will make a final Land Management Plan (TLMP). If the each year. A single moderate-size mill U.S. Postage Anchorage, AK 99503 determination on whether to include new roadless policy is applied, some would require at least that much to ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Tongass roadless areas in a perma- 403,000 acres of the timber base re- operate. Anchorage, AK nent moratorium on road building after served for cutting would be put off- If logging were reduced to that point, Permit No. 377 public hearings are conducted across limits, leaving only 183,000 acres for (Continued to page 4) Page 8 / RESOURCE REVIEW / November 1999 I've lived in Alaska more than 50 Certainly, there are some changes of what will happen in the future, and I years, and I'd like to share some that many old time Alaskans haven't believethe kind of success industry has The National Marine Fisheries The depleted designation would quality studies have largely ruled out observations about the oil industry and liked. With larger populations came demonstrated on the North Slope will Service (NMFS) has formally proposed actually be an interim measure until the exposure to pollutants as afactor in the the pending BP Amoco-ARC0 merger. higher crime rates. Automobile traffic continue. a "depleted listing under the Marine federal government makes a final recent decline in the Beluga population. I'll say up front that I have worked for the increased. Prime fishing spots like the The Slope has already yielded more Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) for determination next spring on whether to There are widespread economic oil industry for 25 years. Some will Russian River became crowded. Clam than 12 billion barrels of oil-an amazing Beluga whales in Cook Inlet. The list the Beluga whales as "endangered implications of listing the Cook Inlet assert that I am biased, and that I can't beaches at Ninilchik became success story by anyone's reckoning. proposal will allow the federal under the federal Endangered Species beluga with nominal benefits to the talk about the oil industry objectively. I immensely popular. Competition during There remains about six billion barrels government to regulate subsistence Act. Environmental groups have whale. General commerce in the Cook have directly benefited from hunting season has grown. of undevelopedoil; quite probably, more. hunting of Beluga whales and regulate petitioned NMFS to list the Belugas as Inlet basin could be severely impacted employment in the industry, but I know There are always tradeoffs that The money BP Amoco will invest in other activities occurring in and around Endangered. if the Beluga is listed for special many others outside the industry who come with growth and development. upcoming years will be dedicated to Cook Inlet. On a new front, the environmental protection. Higher shipping costs to have also benefited. Many longtime Alaskans like me have recovering as much of that oil as NMFS had said earlier this fall that community recently petitionedto list the multi-fold increases in utility rates could I remember clearly Alaska's pre-oil tried to develop a mature attitude toward economically possible. That will it would seek a depleted listing , but the Beluga whale under the State of Alaska result. days. Growing up in Seward in the it, recognizing that long-term benefits translate into many more Alaska jobs, proposal is now official following its Endangered Species Act. Community development, 1940s and 1950s, many people lived in have far outweighed the downsides, in-state purchasing and construction publication in the Federal Register last We believe it is premature for the recreation, tourism, shipping, oil and small houses no largerthan 600 square such as: activity, state revenues and infusions month. The public will have an State to list the Beluga whale before a gas, sport and commercial fishing and feet. We had gravel streets, a party-line Thousands of year-round, private into the Permanent Fund. opportunity to comment on the final decision is made by NMFS on the timber have all successfully worked and telephone system and sporadic, sector jobs; Gas is certain to play a vital role in proposed designation until December federal MMPAor ESA listing.Thefederal grown together in and around Cook unreliable grocery shipments from Improved schools, education Alaska's future. BP Amoco is already 20. decision will be partly based on the Inlet. By involving all of these interests, . In those days there weren't infrastructure throughout the state; committedto pursuingthe best available results of last summer's population along with NMFS, the State of Alaska many houses heated well enough to Improved roads/transportation option for commercializing gas by surveys which have not yet been and the Native hunters, RDC believes stay warm in temperatures below zero. infrastructure; locating its global gas technology center released. Alaskans can work together to ensure a There was one radio station and a Access to home purchases here and constructing a gas-to-liquids Another significant concern is that it healthy whale population without weekly newspaper. People didn't go on through AHFC; pilot project on the North Slope. appears a state listing would not allow unnecessarily penalizing all the other vacations. They didn't have expensive 0 AIDEA - Alaska Industrial The proposed merger will bring thesubsistence use ofthe Belugawhale. users of Cook Inlet in the process toys like snow machines, four-wheelers, Development & Export Authority - small financial strength, technical expertise This one factor by itself makes a state We've recommended the State of or airplanes. There were no big screen and large business loans; and the very best human resources to listing unreasonable and extremely Alaska deny the petition for an TVs (and come to think of it, no TVs at a Alaska Technology and Science the existing Alaskan investment- punitive on Native hunters. endangered species designation and all!) It was mainly fishermen who owned Foundation - grants for science and already at more than $40 billion-to Given the moratorium in place on instead focus state efforts on boats, and many people didn't even high-tech development; ensure its long-term future. the harvest of Beluga whales until encouraging NMFS to work out a co- own automobiles. Permanent Fund growth to $25 Quite simply, cost reductions October 1, 2000, the current threat to management agreement to regulatethe Many people back then were billion, dividend program; through the mergerwill put more barrels the Beluga is alleviated which further hunting of Beluga whales in the Cook seasonally employed-mostly in the Continued support of community of oil into the pipeline, and that is good lessens the need for astate designation. Inlet. A co-management agreement is construction and fishing industries. civic, social service organizations. news for everyone. First and foremost, the goal of RDC ultimately the best tool to resolve this Year-round jobs-if they weren't with 0 Project '80s, state-funded capital I feel fortunate to still be living in is to see the Cook Inlet Beluga whale problem and allow the beluga population local, territorial or federal improvements to Anchorage which Alaska after nearly 55 years, and I hope population recover. Nevertheless, we to recover. governments-were at a premium. significantly improved quality of life; such that my children and their children will are greatly concerned that although RDC7s annual conference will People have asked me to describe as Civic and Convention Center, Sports also find a niche here. There are still community and resource development feature a special keynote luncheon on how Alaska has changed. Arena, Library and Performing Arts plenty of hunting and fishing spots, an activities in Cook Inlet have not played the Beluga whale and Steller sea lion Statehood brought change. The Center abundance of places to hike to, people a part in the decline of the Beluga, they issue on Friday, November 19. 1964 earthquake brought change. But The proposed BP Amoco-ARC0 are friendly, the air is still clean, and a could be adversely impactedby a federal Editor's Note: NMFS has scheduled a public by far, the greatest changes came from combination reminds me of 1974, when lot more people have jobs than in the or state listing. hearing on the proposed federal listing on oil development-first on the Kenai the pipeline construction camps were past. I liked Alaska in the 1950s, but I Municipality of Anchorage Monday, November 22 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 Peninsula and then at Prudhoe Bay. being built and the Prudhoe Bay haul like Alaska in the 1990s even better. I p.m. in Room 154 of the Federal Office monitoring efforts and other water quality The most obvious change was that we road was under construction. There think Alaska in the new millennium will Building in Anchorage. Written comments be better yet. studies have consistently shown no should be sent to Chief, Marine Mammal had more people. When I was a child were fears about the future, but there impacts to Cook Inlet from community Division, Office of Protected Resources, the state's population was about was also a mood of excitement and or industrial development activities. NMFS, 1335 East- West Highway, Silver 150,000. Today it's grown beyond expectation. Editor's Note: Frank Baker has worked with Furthermore, state and federal water Spring, MD 20910. Deadline is 12/20/99. 620,000. I considerthepast agood indication the oil industry since 1974. Page 2 / RESOURCE REVIEW / November 1999 November 1999 / RESOURCE REVIEW / Page 7 that complaint probably because it got its 18 areas protected. But it went after the timber allocated to Louisiana-Pa- cific in a settlement L-P made with the federal government in exchange for shutting its Ward Cove pulp mill. L-P is unable to harvest by Dec. 31 all of the timber to which it received cutting rights so it was granted a one- year extension in an agreement be- The Resource Development should consider using this approach for tween the White House and the Alaska Council has recently gone on record the Beaufort Sea. Allowing companies congressional delegation. Sens. Ted 0 supporting proposed Beaufort Sea to bid on larger tracts provides them Stevens and Frank Murkowski and Rep. Lease Sale 176. with the best opportunity to identify, Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico are acquire and explore the areas of highest On Oct. 1, the federal government Forest Service's neck. Lyons' 1999 up- promised not to go after the a a the only remaining areas where federal potential. took control of Alaska's fisheries date of the '97 plan set aside all 18 Forest Service's budget in exchange offshore leasing takes place. The RDC applauds MMS's work with resources to protect the subsistence areas from logging requested by the for the extension. But the subsequent 0 Mineral Management Service's (MMS) the Alaska Offshore Advisory rights of rural residents. It was a big conservation council. In fact, the leader action by environmentalists and Lyons OCS Leasing Program provides Committee. We believe continued story. of Lyons'team drawing up the revisions appears to abrogate that agreement. companies with a structured predictable public involvement coupled with the Less noticed but also on Oct. 1, the issued a memo to be sure the team Contrary to what the environmen- format for acquiring prospective acreage industry's advanced technology will feds put into effect a revision of the consulted with the Southeast Alaska talists claim, the industry isn't decimat- Tor oil and gas exploration and minimize environmental impacts and 1997 Tongass Land Management Plan Conservation Council and with the ing the Tongass. development. user conflicts as this area is explored that "includes an enormous reduction Hoonah Tribe. The Forest Service's research lab Area wide leasing RDC is encouraaina MMS to offer and developed. in the allowable sale quantity for timber, Any timber sales contracted before in Portland issued a report on the "" the maximum acreage with limited, yet Lease sales like the Beaufort Sea new land designations, a 110-year Oct. 1 were not affected. After that, Tongass recently. Of the 10 million acres approach is reasonable, restrictions. Areawide 176 will encourage future development, increase in timber harvest rotation for everything would be managed under of forested land in the Tongass, the lab recommended leasing has been successfully ensuring new opportunities and 270,000 acres, revisions to habitat- Lyons '99 plan. says 5.6 million acres is what it terms conductedthroughout Alaska and MMS continued prosperity for Alaskans well related standards and guidelines for What that plan does is reduce the productive old growth. The amount open into the 21 st Century. - wolves and deer, and altered goals and commercial forest land by 100,000 acres to logging under Lyons' recent plan is objectives regarding clear cutting." -the total of the 18 areas requestedby about one-tenth of the productive old That's what the Alaska Forest the Southeast Alaska Conservation growth. And more than one half of that Murkowski outlines in ANILCA and this is the balance that limited to, conservation and Association says is the effect of a Council -down to 579,000 acres. And one-tenth can't be harvested for an- must be restored." environmental protection," Freeman revision of theTongass plan that Under of those acres, 270,000 must be har- other 100 and more years. ANILCA amendments The bill has been the subject of added. "ANILCA must not be read as a Secretary of Agriculture James Lyons vested on a 100-year rotation. Most of Important to consider, too, is that extensive oversight and legislative statute designed to lock up Alaska, but issued in April to take effect Oct. 1. that 270,000 is second growth, mean- since the Tongass was created as a debate during the last three as a codification of a unified program to Lyons did that while environmental ing harvesting of that timber has been national forest more than 90 years ago, Congresses, including dozens of conserve some parts of Alaska while organizations, individuals, the timber put off for another 100 years. only slightly more than 500,000 acres Bill would clarify congressional witnesses and countless hours of actively developing other parts." industry and communities had appeals Lyons' action also requires more have been harvested -even including intent, protect Alaskan access testimony. The issues addressed in the Last month Murkowski also pending about the 1997 plan. work on sales by the Forest Service so the years when two pulp mills and three bill "shows the frustration Alaskans have introduced legislationthat would require The Forest Service never that the 180 million board feet of timber or four major sawmills were running full with the dominance of the federal the federal government to grant a road responded to the appeals so the Alaska expected to be offered for sale next tilt. Alaska Senator Frank Murkowski government and the blind eye that is easement to Chugach Native Forest Association filed a complaint in year will be reduced to 80 million, A further problem for Alaskans is has introduced legislation that would often turned toward our needs," said Corporation land holdings at Carbon U.S. District Court charging that in according to the Alaska Forest that last week President Clinton asked clarify provisions of the Alaska National Murkowski. Mountain outside Cordova. drawing up the '97 plan the Forest Association, a non-profit organization the Forest Service to initiate rules to Interest Lands Conservation Act RDC is supporting S. 1683 and Murkowski urged the Forest Service Service violated the Tongass Timber representing surviving Tongass timber protect 40 million acres of roadless (AN ILCA). specifically applauded Murkowski's to settle a dispute over access to the Reform Act, the National Forest businesses. areas in national forests. He recog- The legislation, S. 1683, would allow amendments on requiring federal man- 73,000-acre land selections. "This Management Act, the National But even that drastic reduction by nizes a management plan recently went the Secretary of Interior to allow agers to undergo ANILCA training and process has gone on too long and has Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Lyons failed to make the environmen- into effect for the Tongass and ac- helicopter use in national forests under to clarify congressional intent on heli- been totally unfair to the shareholders," Multiple-Use Sustained Yield Act, the talists happy. knowledged that the timber industry is regulations where it was traditional, copter access in areas where they have Murkowski said. "They received these Organic Administration Act, the Federal The Sierra Club, the Wilderness ''in transition." But he also said the protect access to inholdings, the use of been used historically. lands in 1982 and have not been given Advisory Committee Act and the Society, the Alaska Center for the Tongass should be studied and opin- cabins, fishing and hunting rights, valid 'Federal managers in Alaska will their promised access to gain any benefit Regulatory Flexibility Act. Environment and the Sitka ions asked on whether roadless areas existing rights and require federal land benefit from training specific to ANILCA," from them. It is time they get to use the Violating the law and ignoring Conservation Society filed a complaint of the Tongass should have greater managers to udergo training specific to said RDC Executive Director Ken Free- lands they were granted by the Native regulations is standard operating that Lyons violated the National protection. ANILCA. man. "Misinterpretation of ANILCA has claims settlement act," said Murkowski. procedure forthe Clinton administration. Environmental Policy Act because he Clinton wants a final report by late "The federal government has lost fostered many conflicts between the I have absolutely no more patience Before there was much action in didn't consider and designate more of 2000, meaning he wants to make some sight of the important representations private sector and the federal govern- with efforts to resolve this issue court on the suit, Lyons came out with the Tongass as wilderness. declarations for his "land legacy" be- to the people of Alaska on issues such ment in Alaska." administratively. The goal posts have an update of the '97 plan that at least The Southeast Alaska Conserva- fore the next president takes office. as access across conservation system "Congress fully intendedforfederal been moved too often and the took the Southeast Alaska Conserva- tion Council, an associate of those en- Alaskans have more than the above units and the uses in them," Murkowski lands in Alaska to be used for a wide roadblocks have become too frequent." tion Council and its supporters off the vironmental organizations, didn't join court battle ahead of them. said. 'This is the balance that was struck range of purposes, including, but not Page 6 1 RESOURCE REVIEW I November 1999 November 1999 1 RESOURCE REVIEW 1 Page 3 Tongass National Forest 17 million acres Forested lands 10 million acres (Continued from page 1) Commercial timber base 5.6 million acres the region's few remaining sawmills in Wrangell, Ketchikan and Klawockwould Old Management Plan: likely be forced to close. The Anette Land open to logging 1.7 million acres Hemlock sawmill in Metlakatla recently Allowable Sale Quantity (ASQ) 520 MMBF Rotation Cycle 100 years shut its doors because of costly environmental restrictions, a lack of 1997 TLMP: timber supply and market conditions. Land open to logging 676,000 acres Ketchikan sawmill owner Steve ASQ 267 MMBF Seley is already planning to delay a $1.2 million purchase of dry kilns he TLMP Revision: intended to make this fall. The kilns Land open to logging 576,000 acres would dry green timber into wood that ASQ 187 MMBF would be sawed into furniture and lum- Rotation Cycle 200 years ber for sale in the Lower 48. Seley is Manufacturing capacity (remaining sawmills) 355 MMBF part of an effort to produce "value- added products from the Tongass. Under Roadless Policy: Despite the proposed policy, Gate- Land open to logging (est.) 183,000 acres way Forest Products is moving forward Estimated ASQ <50 MMBF with its plans to build a veneer plant In the past decade, Southeast Alaska has lost more than 1,500jobs in the forest products industry, two large pulp mills and several sawmills as the federal government has steadily If applied to the Chugach and Tongass, President Clinton's proposed * 95% of forested lands in Tongass closed to logging. next year at the site of the old Ketchikan reduced the land base available to logging. 1 forest protection policy could close off millions of acres to development. pulp mill. Gateway recently purchased the assets of Ketchikan Pulp Company. mills in Sitka and Ketchikan.Thousands About half of that timber must be cut on Last year the Clinton administra- of Alaskans were employed year-round a200-year rotation cycle. Under the old tion announced a moratorium on road in the industry and earned among the plan, up to 1.7 million acres was avail- forests if the Tongass is included. cated the 'doing it right' principle of the new roadless shield will come building in roadless areas of national highest wages in the region. Since the able to logging on a 100-year cycle. "If the Tongass is included in a resource planning and management," following a yearlong environmental forests. The Tongass was exempt from Clinton administrationcame into power, Senator Frank Murkowski blasted national roadless policy, I would con- Knowles said. "This approach involves review and public comments. The plan the moratorium because of additional the region has lost 5,000 timber-related the President's initiative, saying it has siderthis to be an outrage and adouble- sound science, prudent management would require no congressional action, sweeping environmental restrictions jobs, largely due to a series of adminis- the potential to sweep the entire multi- cross on the citizens of Alaska," Knowles and an open and fair public process. A and it would be enacted by Forest and land closures resulting from a re- trative actions which have steadily di- year and multi-million dollar Tongass said. "As Governor, I would be com- unilateral decision by the White House Service regulations. Thecurrenttimeline cently-completed land management minished the land base available to Land Management Plan process away pelled to do everything within my power to include the Tongass in the Forest indicates Clintoncould sign the measure plan. In fact, Jim Lyons, a high-ranking logging and compromised the econom- with one strokeof apen. Healsocharged to protect the families and communities Service's roadless area review would into law just before he leaves office. Department of Agriculture Under- ics of timber sales and local facilities. that the policy amounted to a massive of Southeast Alaska." be acomplete repudiationof this policy." National environmental groups are secretary, pledged earlier this year that Under the new TLMP, which the 'de facto" wilderness designation. Knowles noted that he was Knowles insistedthat if any additional expected to launch a major effort to no more Tongass acreage would be Forest Service spent $13 million and 'If they are looking for an environ- previously told that the Tongass would modifications are deemed necessary for convince Americans to support inclu- closed to logging. more than a decade developing, less mental legacy with this announcement, not be included in such a review because Tongass land management,they should sion of theTongass in the roadless ban. Southeast Alaska once had a thriv- than one-tenth of the forest's commer- it will be a legacy on the cheap because of the recent finalization of the TLMP. be accomplished only through the The Forest Service is accepting public ing timber industry with two major pulp cial timber base is open to logging. they haven't done the heavy lifting to Knowles received such assurances structured and well-established process comments until December 20. find a balance between competingviews when he brought Southeast Alaska for amending a forest plan. RDC members are urged to write on resource management," Murkowski mayors to meet with White House Chief Meanwhile, the threat of more tim- the Forest Service opposing the plan, "If they are looking for an environmental said. of Staff Leon Panetta. ber harvest reductions that would come especially the inclusion of the Tongass Congressman Don Young said "the "TLMP took 15 years and millions through implementation of the policy on and Chugach in the proposed policy. legacy with this announcement, it will be a Clinton-Gore administration is of dollars to complete, and was one of the Tongass has prompted Ketchikan's reaffirming what we already knew - it is the most elongated and thorough re- mayor to send the Clinton administra- Send comments to: legacy on the cheap because they willing to take every measure possible source planning processes in the his- tion a clear and direct protest message. to appease the national environmental tory of the nation," Knowles said. "The "Hell no!" Mayor Bob Weinstein USDA Forest Service-CAET haven't done the heavy lifting to find a Attention: Roadless Area NO1 organizations that want to end traditional public was involved on numerous occa- wrote in bold letters in his response to sions. Roadless area review, together Jim Lyons. Weinstein made it clear that Box 22 1090 balance between competing views on multiple-use land policies for working Salt Lake City, UT 84 122 people and communities in the West." with harvest cycles and other relevant he did not approve of including the resource management." Governor Tony Knowles promised matters, was very much a part of this Tongass in the proposed ban. or send via email: process." Last month Lyons said a decision iS - Senator Frank Murkowski to take all possible steps to fight a ban roadlessareanoi/wocaet www.fs. fedas on new road construction in national 'My administration has long advo- on whether to include the Tongass in Page 4 1 RESOURCE REVIEW 1 November 1999 November 1999 I RESOURCE REVIEW / Page 5