necessary to put together a design for which we agreed the project is unfunded. We would nevertheless design them a structure and send it to the village for their consideration and see if it would do the job that they have in mind. We hope to get that to them within the next couple of months. I have been pretty snowed with work here and just have got to that project. But I do want to assure people in Tyonek that we will follow through with that and we will provide them with a design, but we do not have funding available at this time.

Senator GRAVEL. Thank you very much.

Mr. KROTO. That is all I wanted to say.

Mr. FISHER. The next person I suggest we would take would be State Representative Clem Tillion so he could get back to his particular city.

Senator GRAVEL. I will follow your suggestion. It is certainly not my desire to impair your earning capacity.

STATEMENT OF CLEM V. TILLION, STATE REPRESENTATIVE

Mr. TILLION. My name is Clem Tillion. I am a State representative for one of the two State representatives for this district, but I have also been a commercial fisherman and boat operator since the forties here in the inlet. I have had my share of times sitting on the mudflats in front of Kenai either waiting for the tide or having miscalculated it to begin with.

The biggest point that I wanted to bring up at this time was the need of a small-boat basin to clear the channel. I expect that as development in the southern inlet increases that all of the effort won't be going into ports in the southern inlet, that a great deal of the services will still be operated out of Kenai rather than move the oil facilities I am speaking of, and that the traffic in the river will increase and thus during the summer months when we have that fishing fleet out there you are going to have some severe congestion and a great deal of trouble with the changing tide and small boats blocking transport of larger materials.

When these tenders anchor in the channel they have to have enough swinging room not only for themselves but for this fleet of boats that is hanging on them. If we could somehow get the bulk of your commercial fleet into a basin as well as your sports boats to where it was a walk-ashore operation, much like your standard boat harbors are.

I might mention one thing that the borough mayor spoke about, that Kenai has a harbor. I would like to object. I think it has a death trap. Unless you put a breakwater offshore so you don't have to go in there and be locked up with all of those other combustibles, I, for one wouldn't put a boat in there under anything but the most ideal of circumstances.

I have four boats operating in the inlet. Kenai River at least you have a place you can turn loose and run on the mudbanks somewhere down the stream if you got in a fire. Ninilchik is really trapped. Senator GRAVEL. Trapped in which way?

Mr. TILLION. When you are in the Ninilchik Basin you are in there so congested that in the case of a fire, there is no way or no place for you to get your boat out. In other words, in a good boat fire, it is going to take every boat there. The harbor is so difficult to get into and so

small and the fleet is so large and you take years like this when there are some years that the whole fleet will operate out of one point and they move all as a gob so that you have two-thirds of your fishing fleet often in one spot.

There are a few of us that fish crab and so forth and are somewhere else during the closed periods. But specialized boats that are just for salmon do tend to gang up in one spot. I didn't want to spend much time on that one.

I feel that the only way to solve Ninilchik is with a breakwater offshore.

But here in Kenai, a great deal of your congestion could be solved by getting some sort of a basin where you didn't have that heavy current. I realize you have got silting problems, but probably no greater than a good deal of the other areas that boat harbors are maintained

in.

As long as you have a fleet of small boats that anchor on a catch-ascatch-can basis, have your sports boats that are really not prepared to boat in tide ranges such as this, you are going to have a congestion that makes it almost impossible for a safe operation of heavy barges and equipment moving back and forth to service your heavy industries like the oil industry.

As this southern inlet is undoubtedly going to open sometime in the future, I would not guess when, I think it is imperative that we make some preparations for having a channel so that this can move back and forth.

That would pretty well sum it up unless you have some questions. Senator GRAVEL. Thank you very much.

We will break for 3 minutes.

[Brief recess.]

Senator GRAVEL. The hearing will come back to order.

When we started the hearing this morning. I failed to introduce the key people who are here at the head table with me.

On my right is Lt. Col. Paul Driscoll, who is from the northwest region of the Corps of Engineers; on my immediate left is Wes Hayden. Executive Director of the Water Resources Subcommittee: on his left is Lieutenant Colonel Bazilwich who is acting Alaska district. engineer; on the far left is Carl Watson, who is also from Anchorage with the Corps of Engineers.

Here is my good frined, Clarence Goodrich. Clarence, the floor is yours. We are certainly happy to have you here.

STATEMENT OF CLARENCE GOODRICH, SOLDOTNA, KENAI

PENINSULA

Mr. GOODRICH. Mr. Chairman, your staff members, it pleases me more than I can express to be here. I am glad that you can come down here and look at the problem that these people have been facing for the last 15 years that I have been around here.

I am Clarence Goodrich, retired. I have served on many of the development committees. I have watched the progress of the studies that have been conducted on this small-boat harbor. I served on the small-boat harbor committee for a long time with the chamber of

commerce. So just briefly, I would like to make a brief statement of endorsement of the idea of doing something about this problem.

I believe that there has been enough study done by the Corps of Engineers that this package can be put together and the problem could be solved.

First, there is a definite need. As some of the witnesses have already stated, that need seems to be multiplying by leaps and bounds, more fishing and more tourist travel. There is more need for it, there are more boats, just private people that would like to have a safe place. So there is a definite need.

The other thing, I would like to repeat the statement that I believe that this project has been under study for some time. I think that we have had enough reports. If we could just put the package together and get something done it would be the thing that would serve this whole area better.

The new developments in that area there, like the Kenai River crossing, would, I think, multiply the need. Some of the witnesses have already stated the facts about the fishermen's problems. As this new Kenai River bridge crossing is constructed and the whole area will be all tied together with this small boat harbor, it is the center of the activity.

So I would like to conclude by saying that I thoroughly endorse the idea of making a quick study and compiling the data that has been already compiled by the Army Engineers.

If possible, we could get construction underway. This new Kenai River bridge crossing will be completed, hopefully, next fall or early in the next spring. That, as I say again, would be something that would multiply the need of this harbor both for private enterprise and the fishing and other facilities.

So I would like to make that statement.

In conclusion I would like to say I would like to file a written statement with the committee if it is possible.

Senator GRAVEL. We will welcome your statement. Thank you very much.

Mr. FISHER. Senator, our next witness will be George Jackinsky, who is also a fisherman. George, would you step up?

Senator, you might make some sort of announcement with respect to how long the record might stay open for any supplementing

statements.

Senator GRAVEL. The record will stay open for supplementary statements for at least 2 weeks unless there is something very unusual and extenuating. We could leave it open longer than that if need be but two weeks would be sufficient, I think.

STATEMENT OF GEORGE JACKINSKY, ON BEHALF OF TUSTUMENA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND KASILOF, COHOE NATIVE ASSOCIATION, INC., KASILOF, ALASKA

Mr. JACKINSKY. My name is George Jackinsky and I reside in Kasilof, and although no representatives in Kasilof were invited to this hearing, I appreciate this opportunity to be heard in behalf of the

people of Kasilof to express their views, desires, and opinions concerning the need for a small boat harbor in the Kasilof area.

Kasilof is centrally located in the salmon commercial area on the Kenai Peninsula.

More packers and processors operate from the Kasilof River than any other location on the east side of Cook Inlet.

Because of the normal southwesterly prevailing winds and sea, Cape Kasilof provides the only natural breakwater on the eastern side of Cook Inlet. However, this advantage is not presently being utilized because of the large scattered rock which presents a hazard to navigation and at times the natural anchorage cannot be utilized for small boats.

I have navigated the rivers and anchorages in Cook Inlet for 27 years and feel I am qualified to point out these advantages and problems to you. Although I live in Kasilof, I sell my fish and moor my boat in the Kenai River. I feel the Kasilof River would be more centrally located and practical both engineering and cost wise.

Kasilof has a very good location to offer as a salt water harbor. The majority of the boats at present fishing in Cook Inlet operate from the Kenai River. Most of these boats are owned by the two large canneries located on the Kenai River. The canneries provide tie-down facilities for their own boats plus the independent fishermen who work for the canneries. Both of these canneries are headquartered out of Alaska and the majority of their employees and fishermen are not Alaska residents.

The majority of the seven processors presently operating from Kasilof are independent, locally owned, they hire local people. So I believe the location of the harbor in Kasilof would be a financial shot in the arm to the Kenai Peninsula area. The harbor located in Kasilof would be beneficial to more resident fishermen, processors, and local employees.

Kasilof has two paved highways to the harbor location, adequate fresh water, electricity, telephone and available land.

There is no tie-down facility presently in the Kasilof River although I believe the legislature in Juneau appropriated $65,000 in 1972 for improvements in the Kasilof River area. To this date, two seasons have gone by and no money has been spent in this area.

The river is hazardous because of the great number of boats required to anchor in the river during closure periods. It is hazardous to deliver fish to the processor and the fishermen can only deliver fish. during certain hours of the day depending on tide and current. The severe tides and current require constant vigilance on the part of the fishermen and several boats are damaged each year.

Today is a fishing period. This meeting was unfortunately scheduled during one of the three 12-hour periods allowed this week. I felt it worthwhile to attend this hearing and present you with these facts. Thank you for your courteous attention and I welcome any questions you might have.

I would like to make one slight comment. I have talked with Don Statter and was informed that the $65,000 to be spent would need a sponsoring agency. I believe any Federal funds would also need a Federal sponsoring agency.

However, the map that I presented to you indicates the amount of rock and the hazardous river entrance. I believe that this should be looked into immediately. This is the one safety factor that we would like to have corrected.

I would answer any question, if you have any.

Senator GRAVEL. Wes, do you have any comment?

Mr. HAYDEN. I think perhaps Colonel Bazilwich would be in a position to comment on that.

Lieutenant Colonel BAZILWICH. We have looked at this situation you have in Kasilof. It looks like a good solution to the harbor facility in that area. We have worked with the State of Alaska and we are preparing a recognizance report on the feasibility of this; the rock removal and dredging up the river so you get into the area where the State would like to put their facility. Without that, the State facility, of course, would not be

Mr. STATTER. Have we met the requirements of the local cooperation so far as that project is concerned?

Lieutenant Colonel BAZILWICH. No. I don't think we have finally got that agreement signed yet. That will be done when we get approval for the project. But we don't see any major problem with this. Hopefully, we will get it going.

Senator GRAVEL. Kasilof is a community; so, actually your community could sign any local cooperation.

Mr. STATTER. They are not a municipality in Alaska at the present time.

Senator GRAVEL. Not even a fourth-class city?

Mr. STATTER. No.

Senator GRAVEL. How about the boroughs stepping in and doing something there?

Mr. STATTER. Yes. We have $65,000 appropriated last year for Kasilof. This enabled us to make some preliminary investigations and so forth. We feel we have a good project at Kasilof, particularly in the sense that the corps is developing improvements in the lower Kasilof River area.

The problem as far as the State is concerned, actually it is a problem between the State government, our agency and the borough and the people of Kasilof, is the fact that we do not have a local project

sponsor.

Lieutenant Colonel BAZILWICH. I believe that the Kenai Borough has recognized this local sponsorship for the project, of course, it is not formal yet. They have passed a resolution, but we don't have the formal agreement that will come later.

FROM THE FLOOR. There was a meeting last night at the Kenai Borough Assembly when Mr. Statter's letter was read. George was at the meeting. The Kenai Peninsula Borough does not have harbor powers and at this point is taking no action to assume them. Ninilchik is in the same position.

Senator GRAVEL. Wouldn't it make sense for the borough to acquire harbor powers?

FROM THE FLOOR. We think so, but it would require a vote of the people. The mayor was very reluctant in proposing it, since he thought it would fail at this time.