Northern California Carpenters Regional Council

              August 6, 2009

The Honorable Mike Thompson:
317 3rd Street, Suite #1
Eureka, CA 95501

Dear Congressmen Thompson:

On behalf of the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council, I am writing to encourage your support of the Freshwater Tissue Company proposal to resume operation of the Samoa Pulp Mill and to construct a paper mill that will manufacture finished tissue paper products for distribution in the Northwest States. Freshwater Tissue Company has put together a business plan that will insure the sustainable production of a necessary domestic product with environmentally responsible technology while providing living wage employment opportunities in industrial manufacturing positions.

Hundreds of Building Trades professionals will be employed to convert the existing facility and to construct a new manufacturing facility, providing substantial employment opportunities for many on the North Coast. When completed, the mill will provide approximately 425 high paying industrial jobs, will generate approximately 2,550 indirect jobs, and has projected $363 million in annual sales revenue with an annual profit of $70 million. This effort will help to stabilize the North Coast economy and provide essential revenue to local government entities.

Freshwater Tissue has secured unprecedented support from many of the local and regional environmental advocacy groups, labor unions, Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, the local community, and timber industry leaders. Many diverse groups have recognizing the importance of preserving this industrial facility, retaining manufacturing jobs in the community, transitioning to sustainable forest practices and implementing industry technology that is environmentally sound. This proposal has embraced the values of this community and will provide great benefit for the future.

We would greatly appreciate your support of this project and thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Bob Alvarado
Executive Secretary Treasurer
BA:jgp
opeiu #3, AFL-CIO

c: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Senator Patricia Wiggins
Senator Diane Feinstein
Senator Barbara Boxer