SENATE BILL REPORT

                                   SJM 8024

         AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES,

                               FEBRUARY 3, 1992

Brief Description:  Petitioning congress for the right to salvage downed timber in the Olympic National Forest.

SPONSORS: Senators Conner, Owen, Snyder, Jesernig and Anderson

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Joint Memorial No. 8024 be substituted therefor, and the substitute joint memorial do pass.

      Signed by Senators Metcalf, Chairman; Oke, Vice Chairman; Amondson, Barr, Conner, Owen, Sellar, Snyder, and Sutherland.

Staff:  Vic Moon (786‑7469)

Hearing Dates: January 30, 1992; February 3, 1992

BACKGROUND:

There is substantial blown-down timber in all of the forests of western Washington.  With cutbacks in the supply of timber available from federal lands, the timber industry, and especially small mill owners, need lumber to keep their mills in operation.  One source of that timber supply can come from timber that has been blown down. 

SUMMARY:

The memorial provides that timber which has been blown down in the Olympic National Forest should be salvaged.  Access to downed timber would make more than 16 million board feet of timber available to local mills, while carefully supervised removal of downed trees would leave the old growth forest substantially undamaged.  Congress is asked to pass legislation authorizing the Forest Service to offer salvaged timber sales in Washington's federal forests and allowing the state to use the downed timber in state mills.  The memorial is sent to the President of the United States, to the Forest Service, and to the United States Congress.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

The memorial is expanded to include all Washington federal forests.  There would be about 70 million board feet of downed timber and each million board feet would effect 15 to 20 jobs during the salvage process.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

TESTIMONY FOR:

The memorial is needed to get Congress and the Forest Service to release the downed timber before it rots on the ground. 

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Ted LaDoux, Northwest Independent Forest Manufacturers; Bill Pickell, Washington Contract Loggers; Nick Kerhmire, Washington Citizens for World Trade; Rich Nafziger, Governor's Office; Larry Mason, Washington Commercial Forest Action Committee; Ron Humphrey, U.S. Forest Service; Jeff Parsons, National Audubon Society