Barbara Boxer: “Mr. McQuarrie, who owns the Sportsman's Cove Lodge, says: This family business has contributed approximately $1.0…”

“Mr. McQuarrie, who owns the Sportsman's Cove Lodge, says: This family business has contributed approximately $1.0 million to the Ketchikan community annually for the past ten years . . . If the rider passes, then there is no due process for the lodge or for my neighbors, and my business and community will suffer major and unnecessary economic harm. Let's look at Chomley Sound again. That is where this lodge is located. We can see it is magnificent, but it is unprotected, and it is on Prince of Wales Island in the southern Tongass. We can see how unbelievable this forest is. This small businessman is saying he is going to suffer irreparable harm if he cannot protect this area. What sometimes gets lost is there are so many who seem to say the only way we are going to make money, to lift the economy, is to go after resources--cut down trees and drill for oil. Of course, we need to do that in areas where it makes sense, but I am here to say that when you go in to an area that is as magnificent as this forest, the whole economic potential revolves around tourism. I saw that when I was in Alaska. It was a pretty wonderful trip. The bottom line is, if there were a lot of trees being cut down and noise being made, we would lose the wildlife and we would lose the tourism. That is why I oppose this rider that I think is completely unnecessary.”