220 



Mr. Herger. If there isn't, can you again tell me what the reason 

 is for not offering it so that we have all, and not just part of the 

 available information, 



Mr. Unger. The primary reason for delaying it until the SNEP 

 report is out is that the SNEP report is a very carefully worked- 

 out and fully developed assessment, that the feeling is that it 

 should be examined carefully to determine if there is any informa- 

 tion that could affect the decision that we intend to make on the 

 California owl. And that we then, after examining that information, 

 proceed with, expeditiously with issuing the EIS and record of deci- 

 sion. 



Mr. Herger. I again would like to conclude by saying I don't be- 

 lieve we are ever hurt by having too much information or by hav- 

 ing too much scientific data from those who have expertise in given 

 areas, which is certainly the case with our spotted owl report. It 

 has been due for a year now. Since our other report is for Congress, 

 I as a Member of Congress would like it out there to be able to 

 compare them both. 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Hansen. Thank you. 



Mr. Unger, we thank you and your associates for being with us. 

 You will be getting written questions that we would appreciate re- 

 sponse to. 



Mr. Hansen. Panel 2 is Mr. Dan Dessecker, Forest Wildlife Biol- 

 ogist, Ruffed Grouse Society, Rice Lake, Wisconsin; Mr. James F. 

 Loesel, Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition, Roanoke, Virginia; 

 and Mr. Bill Snyder, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Martell, Califor- 

 nia. 



STATEME^^^ of dan dessecker, FOREST WILDLIFE BIOLO- 

 GIST, RUFFED GROUSE SOCIETY, RICE LAKE, WISCONSIN 



Mr. Hansen. We will take your written statements. Please limit 

 your written statement to 5 minutes. You see the lights in front of 

 you. It is just like a traffic light. Don't run it when it gets red. 



Mr. Dessecker. 



Mr. Dessecker. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



I appreciate the opportunity to be here today. I am a forest wild- 

 life biologist with the Ruffed Grouse Society. The goal of the society 

 is to promote forest stewardship through sound forest management. 

 The ruffed grouse is a game species throughout much of the United 

 States and it is a species that absolutely requires young forest and 

 early-successional forest communities and thereby forest manage- 

 ment. 



Due to the Ruffed Grouse Societ^s expertise in the ecology of 

 early-successional forest communities, we have been invited to par- 

 ticipate in the Southern Appalachian Assessment as a member of 

 the scientific panel that worked in consultation with the terrestrial 

 plant and animal team. 



My comments obviously pertain solely to the Southern Appalach- 

 ian Assessment, as I have no experience with Sierra Nevada or Co- 

 lumbia River initiatives. 



It was very clear at the outset that the Forest Service intended 

 the Southern Appalachian Assessment to function solely as an in- 

 ventory and a data clearinghouse, not as a decisionmaking process. 



