HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1985

BYRepresentatives Hargrove, Belcher, Basich, Jones, Sayan, Raiter, Vekich, Beck, Brumsickle, McLean, Bowman, Doty, Winsley, Cooper and H. Myers 

Establishing a comprehensive forest resource information system.

House Committe on Natural Resources & Parks

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (11)

      Signed by Representatives Belcher, Chair;K. Wilson, Vice Chair; Beck, Ranking Republican Member; Brumsickle, Dellwo, Ferguson,R. Fisher, Fuhrman, Hargrove, Raiter and Sayan.

House Staff:Bill Koss (786-7129)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES & PARKS

FEBRUARY 28, 1989

BACKGROUND:

While the forest products industry is continually changing, since 1980, the changes in Washington have taken place at an accelerated rate.  The high inflation of the early 1980's contributed to an optimism that proved unfounded when interest rates soared.  The 1982-1985 period saw many mills close, land withdrawn from timber production for wilderness purposes, and the structure of local economies altered by these changes.

The recent proposed revisions to National Forest management plans incorporate lower than expected harvest levels and also set aside acreage for spotted owl habitat.  Though just the latest in a series of decreases in timber availability, they accelerate the trend.

The state, through the Governor's Office, is developing policies to respond to these proposed changes.  Local economic impacts comprise one aspect of the response.

The Economic Development Board in its most recent report recommended that the state prepare a comprehensive forest resource information plan.  The inventory should be capable of being used in ascertaining the effects of future regulation and planning.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL:  The College of Forest Resources at the University of Washington is directed to prepare a plan for development of a computerized comprehensive forest resource information system.  Data on the system shall be useful in periodically assessing timber availability, timber quality, and the abundance of nontimber resources.  The plan will be capable of incorporating the data acquired through the timber supply study in House Bill 1984.  It should be of sufficient detail to allow for its use in evaluating possible changes in forest resource availability.  Examples of data needs include the effect land use regulations may have on forest resource availability, information useful in planning for the timber processing facilities, and the impact of new technology on forest resource demand.  The plan shall be submitted to the appropriate legislative committees by December 1, 1989.

By June 30, 1991, the Institute for Public Policy at the Evergreen State College, in conjunction with the College of Forest Resources shall prepare a report identifying the impacts of incrementally withdrawing forest land from the commercial forest land base. The report shall measure the impacts in social, economic, and employment terms.  Second, it shall also assess the possible changes to the local and state economies if forest lands continue to produce resources under existing management levels and a stable land base.  Third, it will determine the impacts of changes in technology, structural changes in the industry, new industrial investment, and previous withdrawals of forest land from harvestable acreage.  Last, it shall determine the future contribution of the forest products industry if the commercial land base remains constant, but there is an immediate prohibition on exporting logs from public lands.

Eighty thousand dollars is appropriated for the plan and the study.

SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  The substitute makes clear that the comprehensive forest resource information system will be capable of incorporating the data acquired in the forest supply study required in House Bill 1984.

To allow for use of the most timely data in preparing the report required in section 2, the final report date is delayed from September, 1990, to June, 1991.  Rather than asking the College of Forest Resources to prepare the report alone, it will be prepared in conjunction with the Institute of Public Policy at The Evergreen State College.  The report will assess the impact of requiring domestic processing of logs cut on public lands. An emergency clause is included.

Appropriation:    Eighty thousand dollars is appropriated for the plan and the study.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Judy Turpin, Washington Environmental Council; Pat McElroy, Department of Natural Resources; LeRoy Tipton, Grays Harbor Chamber of Commerce; Don Clothier, Grays Harbor Economic Development Council; Ann Goos, Washington Commercial Forest Action Committee; Gus Kuehne, Northwest Independent Forest Manufacturers; Larry Mason, Mason Lumber Products; Steve Gano, Washington Forest Protection Association.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The Economic Development Board cited a need for a readily accessible data base of forest resource information.  To be most useful, the inventory prepared in House Bill 1984 should be linked to the resource information system developed in section 1 and used in preparing the report required in section 2.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.