S-3806.1          _______________________________________________

 

                       SUBSTITUTE SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8024

                  _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1992 Regular Session

 

By Senate Committee on Environment & Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Senators Conner, Owen, Snyder, Jesernig and Anderson)

 

Read first time 02/04/92.Petitioning congress for the right to salvage downed timber in the Olympic National Forest.


     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE:

     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

     WHEREAS, The timber industry in the State of Washington is in serious economic decline; and

     WHEREAS, Timber jobs, which support the communities, families, and related businesses, are in jeopardy due to altered policies caused by the program for the protection of the spotted owl and changes in the timber industry; and

     WHEREAS, Timber which has been blown down in several national forests in this state can be salvaged and consists of an estimated total of seventy million one hundred thirty thousand board feet; and

     WHEREAS, A carefully supervised removal of downed trees using environmentally sound silviculture methods can produce timber for local mills while at the same time leaving an undamaged old growth forest; and

     WHEREAS, Some logs can be left to decay and contribute to rich, fresh soil; and

     WHEREAS, Careful removal of the timber using existing roads will reduce the potential for extensive bug infestation that could damage the forest; and

     WHEREAS, Salvage sales could provide fifteen to twenty jobs per million board feet of salvaged timber; and

     WHEREAS, The sales are supported by the Governor's Timber Policy Team as well as the legislature;

     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the President and Congress pass legislation authorizing the United States Forest Service to offer salvage sales of blown down timber in the Pacific Northwest National Forests allowing the state to reap the economic and environmental benefits.

     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George Bush, President of the United States, the United States Forest Service, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to each member of Congress from the State of Washington.