Date: 1996-06-13
Speaker: MARK SUWYN (republican)
Chamber: S

Chairman and CEO. Louisiana Pacific Corporation. Portland. OR. DEAR MARK: Thank you for our recent discussions about the future of the Kctchikan Pulp Company (KPC). As you know. my Administration has consistently supported a sustainable timber industry in the Tongass. including a predictable timber supply to meet the terms of the KPC contract and 100 million board feet for small operators through Small Business Administration sales. Thousands of Alaskan families depend on the Tongass for their livelihoods. subsistence hunting and fishing. recreation. and other uses. With this letter. I want to inform you my Administration supports a KPC contract extension. contingent on the five principles outlined below. As you mentioned during our recent meeting. a decision to extend KPCs current contract is a federal one. While the state has no authority to grant an extension. the longterm partnership between the people of Southeast Alaska and the timber industry and between the City of Kctchlkan and KPC gives us an important interest in the extension issue. This partnership has benefited the jobs and families of Southeast Alaska and has helped maintain healthy. safe. and stable communities. Inherent in this longterm partnership are five principles: 1. Environmental Protection. Protection of air. water. and land. including fish habitat through compliance with applicable federal. state. and local laws. This means KPC should develop a. plan to achieve full compliance with environmental laws within three years. This would include a meaningful public process that resolves public health and environmental issues. 2. Commitment to Ketchikan. A longterm commitment to Ketchlkan and the maintenance of a stable workforce. including .the hiring and training of resident Alaskans and a willingness to hire Alaska contractors. KPC should have longer terms contracts with Alaska timber businesses to provide them the certainly to hire permanent employees from- Alaska. KPC should support a policy for directing 50 percent of the timber from SBA sales to instate secondary processing through contracts with SBA timber businesses. 3. Multiple Use. Adherence to sound principles of multiple use and sustained yield of forest resources. This means the production of sustainable contract volumes for KPC and the small timber operators in southeast and the protection and promotion of other forest uses and users. including tourism. fishing. subsistence. hunting. mining. and recreation. The planning process is of little value if individual sales remain mired In controversy and litigation. Therefore. timber offerings in areas of high community interest and important fish habitat. such as Cleveland Peninsula. Honker Divide. East Kuiu. and Poison Cove. should be avoided. In addition. every effort should be made to bring about a transition from the harvest of old growth to second growth timber. 4. TLMP Process. The Tongass Land Management Plan. including full participation by the timber industry and other forest users. must be completed expeditiously. The timber volume available for harvest must be determined through the TLMP planning process. 5 ValueAdded. The timber industry should continue to explore new processes and technology to maximize the use of timer harvested and increase the value of products. As we discussed. the matter of volume. contract duration. and price must be determined by the federal public process. I look forward to our continued cooperation. Sincerely.