04/30/1994 11:40 AM Senate RES

 SENATOR MILLER announced  HJR 55  (TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST TIMBER             
 HARVESTS) to be up for consideration.                                         
                                                                               
  TAPE 94-40, SIDE B                                                           
  Number 580                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE WILLIAMS, Sponsor, said HJR 55 asks Congress to                
 review the economic impact of Southeast Alaska on the Forest                  
 Products Industry, brought about by ANILCA and the Tongass Reform             
 Act of 1990.  There has been a timber shortage since 1990 resulting           
 in the loss of more than 600 forest products industry jobs in                 
 southeast Alaska.  The lack of an assured supply of timber                    
 available for harvest posses a great threat to the economic well              
 being of the region, Representative Williams said.                            
                                                                               
 SENATOR ZHAROFF said he didn't have trouble with the timber                   
 industry portion of the bill.  But he and other legislators have              
 been receiving a number of messages from other resource users in              
 the state who are concerned.                                                  
                                                                               
 Number 540                                                                    
                                                                               
 KATYA KIRSCH, Alaska Environmental Lobby, opposed HJR 55, because             
 the Congressional report it requests is already required and                  
 petitions the Forest Service to manage the Tongass National Forest            
 in a way that will force Southeast Alaska to face the same                    
 environmental and economic collapse seen in the Pacific Northwest.            
                                                                               
 She said the legislature has all the user groups in their                     
 constituencies, not just timber.  It's poor policy to accommodate             
 a single interest, especially when it can negatively impact other             
 people and industries in the state.                                           
                                                                               
 SENATOR LEMAN said he understands her to be saying that if they are           
 optimizing opportunity for the timber industry, they are of                   
 necessity not optimizing opportunity for other interests.  That is            
 not his conclusion.  He thinks they can optimize an opportunity for           
 timber and other industries within the confines of the existing               
 management plans.                                                             
                                                                               
 MS. KIRSCH commented that current harvest levels have been below              
 that stated in law.  Problems like subsistence, viable populations,           
 and the fact that there just isn't enough timber in certain units             
 have been cropping up.  The intent of the language in this                    
 resolution is to increase what has already been happening when that           
 is already unsustainable - as far as all of the user groups being             
 able to continue their uses.                                                  
                                                                               
 CHUCK ACHBORGER, Director, Juneau Chamber of Commerce, supported              
 HJR 55.  It is extremely important for Southeast Alaska to have a             
 viable timber base for a viable economy.  The Tongass Land                    
 Management Plan was put together with a consensus of all interests.           
 Timber ended up with 10% of the Tongass to work with.  Ever since             
 then, they have been fighting to maintain that 10%.                           
                                                                               
 TROY REINHART, Executive Director, Alaska Forest Association,                 
 supported HJR 55.  It does not ask for anything that isn't in                 
 current law.                                                                  
                                                                               
 SENATOR LEMAN asked him if he found the Tongass Timber Reform Act             
 of 1990 workable.  MR. REINHART said it was workable and they will            
 continue to make it workable.                                                 
                                                                               
 SENATOR ZHAROFF said looking at the citations and resolutions that            
 have come in from the different municipalities and interest groups            
 he represents, he thought their comfort level would be increased              
 greatly if they adopt amendments asking that the other resources be           
 protected in all of these deliberations.                                      
                                                                               
 SENATOR ZHAROFF moved to adopt amendment #1.  SENATOR MILLER                  
 objected for the purpose of discussion.  SENATOR ZHAROFF explained            
 it would replace the first "WHEREAS."  The amendment defers to the            
 goal of sustainable yield of the various resources.                           
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE WILLIAMS said the various acts in place now, like              
 the Forest Practices Act, are working.  He, therefore, objected.              
 SENATOR ZHAROFF suggested he work with the sponsor over the weekend           
 and move the bill out Monday.                                                 
                                                                               
 SENATOR MILLER said that would be fine and he asked Representative            
 Williams if he objected to amendment #2.  REPRESENTATIVE WILLIAMS             
 said that he objected to that one also.                                       
 SENATOR MILLER announced HJR 55 to be back before the committee.              
                                                                               
 SENATOR ZHAROFF moved amendment #1.  There were no objections and             
 it was so ordered.                                                            
                                                                               
 SENATOR ZHAROFF moved amendment # 2.  There were no objections and            
 it was so ordered.                                                            
                                                                               
 SENATOR ZHAROFF moved to pass CS to HJR 55 (RES) am from committee.           
 There were no objections and it was so ordered.