no 



APHIS FACTS. ..AND FICTIONS 



• Imports are not needed. Approximately 3.5 billion board feet of softwood logs and lumber were ex- 

 ported firom public and private lands in Oregon, Washington and Alaska in 1993 alone. This wood, 

 plus alternatives such as recycling, conservation, and fiber from non-wood products, are ienored bv 

 APfflS. *- 6 / 



• APHIS'S risk assessments for proposed imports ignore unsuspected pests. Asian chestnut blight, 

 Dutch elm disease, and the gypsy moth were all unknown or considered innocuous before they began 

 destroying American forests. 



• APHIS'S plans to rely on self -reporting by importers create an incentive for deceit Because APHIS 

 is not planning to assess fees on imports to pay for inspection, they will not have the resources to 

 verify this information. Indeed, APHIS proposes to do "one stop permitting" for entire classes of 

 shipments. The only penalty for breaking the rules will be loss of import permits for one year, a slap 

 on the wrist 



• In the former Soviet republics, the black markets, government corruption, and a timber-industry Mafia 

 make the tracking of wood products utterly absurd. 



• Imports from areas of high unemployment, such as Chile, Siberia, and even New Zealand, take 

 needed jobs away from local workers. 



WE MUST DEMAND 



That APHIS ban all whole log imports due to its inability to guarantee pest free logs. 



That APHIS ban all timber imports from the former Soviet Union due to the especially high pest risk, 

 the impossibility of verifying its compliance with regulations, and the incompatibility of Siberia's de- 

 forestation with U.S. foreign aid policies intended to stabilize their economy. 



That APHIS develop an alternative that fully reduces the risks and actually has some teeth, 

 specifically: 



More 



1) Any imported timber should be cut and heated to 160'F (rather than the proposed 133'F) for com- 

 plete pest eradication. Treatment should be conducted in the country of origin. This and all other 

 eradication techniques must be thoroughly tested for each pest and tree species before approval. 

 Verification of the effectiveness of such techniques is now lacking. 



2) APHIS should grant import permits for wood products only after establishing minimum standards 

 and practices for foreign inspections and future risk assessments. 



3) Importing companies should post bond for possible eradication after pest infestation, and owners, 

 parent, or partner companies should be held liable. Importers should also be assessed for inspec- 

 tion and research costs. 



4) The rules should include provisions for citizen suits and civil penalties to help promote enforce- 

 ment 



Far mQK mfQnmiQn cantacc 



' Joy fidsky, Staff Ecologist, ONRC, (503) 223-9001 « 



♦ Dan fUAi, Vofuntwr Policy Analyst, 0^'RC* fSK) 232-8354 » 



• Pattf Clary, CaKforniaiis for Alternatives lo lim<x, <7i7)S22-8497 > 



. DiwHlGoK<ioiior LisaTr«BfJV%**tE««'*«l»n>eBt* l«S«UE€«£^tter, (415) 332T«Ca(J0 • 



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