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SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 8000
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State of Washington 50th Legislature 1987 Regular Session
By Senators Halsan, Benitz, Stratton, Newhouse, Owen, Deccio and Barr
Read first time 1/15/87 and referred to Committee on Natural Resources.
TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, 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:
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 state of Washington ranks high in the amount of federal forest land administered by the United States Forest Service and relies heavily on the jobs and revenue derived directly and indirectly from the sale of federal timber; and
WHEREAS, The Forest Service Region 6 guidelines for the management of habitat for the northern spotted owl in Washington and Oregon have long-range negative consequences which will seriously affect the economy and employment in our rural and timbered areas of the state; and
WHEREAS, It does not seem prudent in these times of economic hardship that nearly 1.8 million acres of land be set aside in the states of Washington and Oregon as habitat to protect 550 pairs of northern spotted owls, especially in light of the vast federal acreage which has been set aside recently as designated wilderness areas; and
WHEREAS, Of the 1.8 million acres to be set aside specifically for spotted owl habitat, 690,000 acres are valuable as commercial forest land; and
WHEREAS, Such a massive set-aside of valuable timber land would stop the sale of 40 billion board feet of federal timber worth $6 billion and reduce the regional employment directly and indirectly by 4,800 jobs; and
WHEREAS, The reduction in timber harvest due to set-asides for spotted owl habitat will reduce the federal timber receipts to the federal treasury by $38 million annually and reduce the percentage of the federal timber revenues returned to the counties in the Northwest by $9 million annually;
NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that:
(1) Congress take steps to assure that the United States Forest Service not set aside areas or prohibit timber harvesting to protect spotted owl habitat without evaluating and accommodating the economic and employment needs of the rural communities dependent on the federal timber in and/or near those areas;
(2) Congress require a balanced look at all Forest Service programs to assure that employment stability not be sacrificed for one wildlife species.
BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the States of Washington and Oregon.