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 Alaska. 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 0 Escrow receivable loans 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, Seattle. 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 regulate the 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.