HB 2733 - DIGEST

Finds that all of the public lands granted to the state are held in trust and should be managed in a manner that enhances benefits in perpetuity.

Finds that globalization of the wood products industry is changing the context for forest product marketing. New forest technologies in the world marketplace are creating a new model for production of the wood fiber needed to provide for wood products. Worldwide industrial forestry is migrating to an agronomic model of wood fiber production and away from traditional forestry models. In order for state timber to compete in the forest marketplace of the twenty-first century, strategic niche marketing must be employed.

Finds that state timber revenues can be enhanced over time and given long-term stability by distinguishing state forest products from the competition in the market, thus providing sustainable revenue for trust beneficiaries into the future. This sustainable revenue can be realized by providing leadership in sustainable forestry and still providing ecological and social benefits to the public and local communities.

Finds that certification of the state forest lands will ensure access to economically valuable markets for state forest products, increasing the benefits to the trust beneficiaries in both the short and long term.