215 



Mr. Carpenter. The Southern Appalachian Assessment is de- 

 signed so we could have the best scientific information involved in 

 the process, and then they could use this information in the 

 NEPA — in the NEPA process, as Mr. Unger explained, yes. 



Mr. Duncan. Now you have testified, I understand, that the total 

 Southern Appalachian Assessment is 37 million acres and it is only 

 4.6 million of those acres are actually forest lands; is that correct? 



Mr. Carpenter. That is correct. 



Mr. Duncan. Did any of you foresee the SAA being used in any 

 way for potential regulations in any type with regard to private 

 lands? 



Mr. Unger. I will be happy to answer that, and the answer is 

 no, we have no authority, and we do not seek any authority to af- 

 fect or regulate private land. 



Mr. Duncan. Just the general overall question: How many acres 

 does the Forest Service have now across the country, total? 



Mr. Unger. 191 million. That is forest and grasslands or forest 

 and rangelands. 



Mr. Duncan. Has that changed any? And I don't need the exact 

 figures from, say, 20 years ago. If I had asked that question 20 

 years ago, what would the total have been? About the same or 



Mr. Unger. Slightly smaller. There have been gradual additions 

 over the years but they are in proportion to the total, very small, 

 filling out boundaries, straightening boundaries where they may 

 exist, filling in pinholes where it is appropriate and where there is 

 availability of that land. But the total is very close to what it was 

 20 years ago. 



Mr. Hansen. Thank you very much. 



The gentlelady from Idaho. 



Mrs. Chenoweth. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Blackwood apparently on the 8th of May, Mr. Steve Mealy 

 from Libby, Montana, indicated that the writing of the final draft 

 of the EIS for the Columbia Basin Project had stopped, the editing 

 had begun, and the alternative would be picked on May 10th. 



May 10th has come and gone. He also said Jack Ward Thomas 

 and Jim Lyons did not know what the final product would be, if 

 there is a — are we still looking at a time line of knowing on June 

 10th what that final product might be? 



Mr. Blackwood. Let me give you my best estimate. 



Please recognize that both Mr. Mealy and I just did staff work 

 for the decisionmakers here, so the decisions on alternatives and 

 time lines are within the realm of the State foresters on this. 

 Where we are right now with the drafts is that we have just about 

 completed all of the writing analysis, and as of yesterday we sent 

 final review copies to our Executive Steering Committee, Regional 

 Foresters, State BLM directors and Forestry directors. 



They received those documents yesterday for their final review, 

 which we have a meeting with them at the end of this month to 

 give us a green light, or a green light with caveats to go to print- 

 ing. There is discussion among the executive steering committee 

 now on how to proceed with that and what would be the role of oth- 

 ers in that decision, in that process now. 



Mrs. Chenoweth. Mr. Blackwood, as you know, I would like you 

 to take note of this, let's address the 1712 line that requires you 



