30 



beetle acts as a natural thinning agent that may help to maintain 

 a near maximum level of primary productivity in the lodgepole 

 pine community. Scientists have shown that accelerated growth of 

 the surviving trees is rapid and dramatic and often compensates 

 for the lost productivity of trees killed by the pine beetle in as 

 little as 6 to 10 years. 



In addition to the timber values, pine beetles and other insects 

 are an important source of food for birds, mammals, and other in- 

 sects, which in turn help to control their numbers and limit their 

 damage. The trees they kill, as well as those destroyed by fire and 

 disease, provide habitat important to many different plants and 

 animals. Dozens of species of North American birds use standing 

 dead trees, or snags, as nesting sites. Cavities that are excavated 

 first by woodpeckers are later occupied by other birds — screech, 

 saw-whet, and pygmy owls; house wrens; tree and violet-green swal- 

 lows; kestrels; bluebirds; chickadees; wood ducks; and many others. 



Small mammals, such as flying squirrels, gray squirrels, red and 

 fox squirrels, bats, martens and raccoons, also live in snags. Dead 

 trees and fallen logs are used by bears and other animals for hiber- 

 nation. They are home to reptiles, amphibians, and a myriad of in- 

 sects, worms, and spiders — all of which serve as food for other birds 

 and mammals. 



Live or dead, lodgepole pine on the national forests in the Inter- 

 mountain West cost more to harvest than they are worth. Insect 

 epidemics, fires and other natural disasters are essential compo- 

 nents of a healthy forest ecosystem. For more than 80 years, the 

 Forest Service has been trying to eradicate pests from the national 

 forests, yet millions upon millions of acres of national forests 

 remain "infested." 



The time for Forest Service promises to end timber subsidies is 

 past. It is time for Congress to act on behalf of all American tax- 

 payers to stop the drain on the Federal Treasury, and stop facilitat- 

 ing the needless destruction of the ecosystems at a financial and 

 ecological loss. 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Senator Daschle. Thank you very much, Mr. Francis. 



Before we ask questions of you, let me bring Mr. Jim Riley, Exec- 

 utive Vice President of the Intermountain Forest Industries Asso- 

 ciation, from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to the table, and let me call 

 upon my ranking member for any welcoming remarks he would 

 like to make. 



Senator Craig. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 



It is a privilege to have Mr. Riley with the committee this after- 

 noon. He represents the forest products industry of our State, or a 

 very large segment of it, and I must say that over the last several 

 years, that industry has really worked extremely hard at institut- 

 ing, in cooperation with the Forest Service, sound and responsible 

 management techniques that have grown to enhance water quality 

 and wildlife habitat. I think they better than anyone else recognize 

 and appreciate the environment which our State is blessed with 

 and the importance of maintaining it. Jim and his interests repre- 

 sent literally thousands and thousands of jobs in small and 

 medium-sized communities in our State, and so therefore, the bal- 

 ance of economy and environment are extremely valuable. 



