"Seven point five million dollars (the court settlement) is really not a large sum of money," he warned. "We must try to preserve these funds and only use them as seed money to attract other funding."

Well, Angoon is beginning to get that message. In fact, health aid Barbara Johnson put it well when she was investigating funding for a much needed alcoholism program in the village.

"Nobody's going to help us," she decided. "We're going to have to help ourselves.

And with the thought comes a new and refreshing idea. That, although Angoon is on the bottom of its political totem pole, it might have some power to help with the carving. And native leaders who write the village off as a long gone loser, may soon be surprised to hear the sharpening of chisels.

Mayor GEORGE. I would like to start by saying that I thank you for this opportunity and the special reason for our making the trip this morning, we just got back to Angoon last night and we had to leave this morning because we feel strongly in Angoon and since becoming the mayor in October, I have tried to do things for our little village. It has taken a lot of time on my part to look into what we are trying to do and things that we have overlooked.

Our reason for coming in at this time, is to say a little bit on the harbor study of Angoon which was introduced by Bob Bartlett, I think it was in 1965. At that time the Corps of Engineers reported an estimate of $91,000 and it would take over a 3-year period.

This winter we wrote letters to Senator Gravel and he told us what he did in our behalf. We feel that before when we made requests, the place where we fell short was we didn't follow up. We just took it for granted that we had the $91,000 and we kept quiet and wondered why things didn't happen.

So at this point we are here to make a pitch.

The other is our ferry stop. Some of our leaders have told us it would take 2 years and that was a year ago and in 2 years we would have a ferry stop in Angoon. Then from the sea Alaska studies, the States that in the 1990's-I don't think my people would care to wait that long.

The highways won't work on our road to the two proposed sites by the State because we don't have a ferry landing out there. The other people tell us they won't build this because we don't have a road. So I would like to point out a few things.

This year we switched our fishing fleet from Hawk Inlet to Metlakatla so our fleet is based in Angoon. The problem we have been having, we have other problems also, but this is a new one that hit us this summer. We had four boats that couldn't get out fishing in time. At this time we have two boats that haven't been out fishing at all. The problem is we can't fly in the heavy parts that we need for the main motors in the boats because all we have is the channel flying and skyways.

We are looking forward to other business that we have been approached on. We have been approached by the lumber mills. They want to put a sawmill and chipper in Angoon. We just can't see how it is possible with not having a ferry.

We do have a great boat and during the winter it visits us every 2 months, and during the summer season it is every 2 weeks.

We feel lucky that BIA is at this time giving some attention to our fleet in Angoon. My wife and I were back in Washington in March and at that time, Senator Gravel was instrumental in helping us get some funding. I had to mention that. I didn't get to thank you.

We feel that the development of our village should come from public moneys because we have a lot of potential and it is the public that will be using these facilities. In the Wiley report and the Forest Service report they tell us that Angoon has the most spectacular scenery in southeast Alaska.

In this we can say we have fishing, we have hunting and there are people that would like to come in that don't because of our poor transportation services. We feel that the time is coming when our island will

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be exploited. We have people that are talking about recreational resources, resorts, and as I mentioned a little while ago, our timber. We keep making a plea for moneys here and there.

We are having a hard time protecting our own interests. Even to take care of our city business we have to scrap so that we can operate. Last winter we had 25 kids in college. That is not counting those that were in trade schools. This coming year we anticipate 31 to 32. The thing that worries us is that if we don't come up with something for these young people we are just training them to go elsewhere when we know we have the resources and we can develop them. We can place these kids in jobs. We know we can be an asset to the State of Alaska. In closing, before I come up here I met with Mr. Loescher. He told me to put in this plug. I am the vice chairman of the T. & H. Housing Authority. He tells me we have a program, reservation, that is sitting on somebody's desk in Washington. We would like to have Mr. Gravel kick it loose one way or the other.

The T. & H. Housing Authority has spent $100,000 of its own money. We think we should get the go ahead sign to start construction.

So at this point I will turn this portion over to Reed Stoops who has been working with us. He tells me he has a few slides he would like to show.

STATEMENT OF REED STOOPS, SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA COM

MUNITY ACTION PROGRAM, ANGOON, ALASKA

Mr. STOOPS. I think Cyril may have some comments on these slides. This is an aerial shot of Angoon looking toward the west. You have Mitchell Bay in the foreground and Chatham Strait in the background. Chatham Strait is a fairly broad body of water and when the wind blows from the west, it beats directly on the shoreline of Angoon.

Right now the harbor that is in use is on the Mitchell Bay side which is on the inside which appears to be a safe, secure harbor. However, the tide rips in and out of the bay because of the narrow opening and are stronger than most of our rivers. I think the velocity reaches 15 knots at times. It makes for very unsafe boating. There are numerous drownings in the Angoon area because of the velocity of the tide.

Here is another shot of Angoon from the air. You can see the tide rip in the foreground. It just looks like white water in a river. Behind some of the rocks there are giant whirlpools.

This is a shot from Chatham Strait looking into Angoon with the existing dock. This was taken on one of the rare calm days. It was taken for a different purpose and I should have taken the picture when one of the squalls was blowing in directly at the community because it is common to get 3- or 4-foot waves coming in against the beach and it is just impossible to anchor a boat there.

That is another shot from a different angle. I am also showing you the community of Angoon and the way it is situated.

That is a shot looking out Mitchell Bay through the narrow opening that connects it to Chatham Strait. That is the reason for the tide rips coming in and out.

Mayor GEORGE. I would like to mention, when you get past this point and that point on the outside there your insurance is no good. If you pile up your boat inside here, the insurance is no good.

Senator GRAVEL. If the boat is inside, you have no insurance? Your insurance is only good in Chatham Strait?

Mayor GEORGE. They say it is too dangerous in there.

Mr. STOOPS. Here is another shot of the same area. You can see some fairly small boats anchored in there. That is a very shallow indentation of the bay. It is only possible for very small pleasure boats to anchor there. It is kind of a side pocket. It is slightly protected from the

current.

You can see the existing Angoon boat harbor. It is a pretty nice harbor except that it is not big enough and the boats have to come in and out through the Mitchell Bay Straits to get in and out of the harbor. Like I said, it is very difficult and dangerous even for experienced boatmen.

Thank you.

Senator GRAVEL. Thank you very much. I already have a call into Washington on the housing. Hopefully, we will get an answer on that today.

Mr. STOOPS. I have a letter from one of our Community Action program board of directors. It is from Richard Whittaker in Ketchikan. It is a letter which he would like me to present to the committee. Senator GRAVEL. The letter will be received for the record. [The letter referred to follows:]

RICHARD WHITTAKER,

ATTORNEY AT LAW, Ketchikan, Alaska, July 31, 1973.

Senator MIKE GRAVEL,

U.S. Senate,

Washington, D.C.

DEAR SENATOR: I wish to extend my thanks to you for the Rivers and Harbors hearings which you are now holding in Alaska. The work of the committee has great impact in "my" part of Alaska, Southeastern, which is totally maritime oriented.

As a member of the board of directors of Southeastern Community Action Program, Inc. (SEACAP), I want to urge particular attention by the committee to the problems of the smaller communities.

At this writing, southeastern Alaska's villages are at the brink of economic regeneration due to their fortuitous relationship to the sea and the insular waters of our area.

For those who have been in economic distress for generations, there is hope as more attention is placed on the diverse fisheries potential of southeastern. Many foods which were ethnic in interest heretofore are now entering world markets.

But for the village people to participate in these markets, there must be facilities for boats; facilities which are protected and safe.

Kake, Hoonah, Angoon, Craig, Klawock and Hydaburg do not have the wealth to present their needs as do the larger communities, but each dollar spent on harbors in those communities brings back a much greater return than the larger communities, as the local community develops an economic base. Harbors are a key step in helping people help themselves out of economic distress and into the mainstream of economic success.

Once again, we in southeastern really appreciate the concern of the United States Senate for our problems as expressed in these hearings.

Sincerely yours,

RICHARD WHITTAKER.

Mr. STOOPS. Upon notice that these hearings were going to be held about a week or a week and a half ago, we sent notices to all of the rural communities. But as you may know, this is a very bad time for the people in these communities to participate in the hearings because it is during the fishing season and the people are fishing.

Even if they weren't fishing they would have a difficult time affording a trip to Juneau to be able to make their needs known to the committee.

It is a real problem when a small community has to rely on municipal government which is purely voluntary. The officials serve without pay. They have to make a living in some other way. It really doesn't give them adequate time to engage in the kind of planning that our larger communities are capable of.

For this reason, even when money is available for boats and harbor projects, the communities don't receive the money for these projects because they have done no prior planning and they have no studies available to show their needs.

I would also like to present two resolutions passed at the last Community Action program board of directors meeting, one on ferry service to Angoon and the other on Haines Harbor.

[The resolutions follow:]

RESOLUTION No. 10

HAINES HARBOR EXPANSION

Whereas the boat harbor in the village of Haines is not large enough to accommodate all of the boats which could be anchored there; and

Whereas harbor expansion has been a community priority with which SEA CAP has worked in the past. Now therefore be it

Resolved, That SEACAP staff assist the village of Haines in its efforts to acquire additional harbor area.

Attest.

RICHARD WHITTAKER, Secretary.

EDWARD CHURCHILL, Chairman.

RESOLUTION No. 11

FERRY SERVICE TO ANGOON

Whereas one argument used in denying ferry service to Angoon is the lack of an adequate road to the proposed site; and

Whereas an argument used in delaying expenditure of major amounts of money to repair and upgrade Angoon's one-way gravel road is that there is not enough economic advantage to advancing such large sums of money in this time of limited State capital improvements funds; and

Whereas Angoon's progress will be limited in direct proportion to the amount of investments made in public transportation; and

Whereas industrial developments are being investigated and will undoubtedly occur in the foreseeable future which will demand improved transportation and communications; Now therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Honorable Governor of the State of Alaska is respectfully requested to ask the State Department of Highways and the State Division of Marine Transportation to give the highest priority to the needs of the Angoon area for (1) an improved highway to the proposed ferry terminal site, and (2) initiation of ferry service to Angoon; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be given to United States Senators Stevens and Gravel, Congressman Young, State Senator Meland, State Representative Haugen, and to appropriate State agencies.

Attest.

RICHARD WHITTAKER, Secretary.

EDWARD CHURCHILL, Chairman.

Senator GRAVEL. Very good. I understand we have the vice mayor of Haines here, Raymond Rose. Ray, why don't you come up?

We tried to get into Haines yesterday as you probably know. The weather was so bad we couldn't get in.