41 



area, I think you are a little bit of a beneficiary generally there as 

 opposed to maybe what the other BLM lands might be able to re- 

 ceive. 



Mr. Penfold. I think that is a fair statement. 



Mr. Vento. Let me go back, Mr. Penfold, to this question of 

 maintenance. Reforestation involves not just the planting of young 

 trees, but maintaining them in place. I note that both of you have 

 commented about fire and about drought and about other things 

 but that the die-back rate is about 10 percent. 



While some of these factors can be important, they are all to be 

 expected, I guess, in the normal weather patterns of the Pacific 

 Northwest. We have got another drought, far north now, and the 

 one in California looks a little better, but you have still got prob- 

 lems in Region VI and in the districts we are talking about here. 



What ab^ut the overall maintenance program? Wouldn't you 

 agree that that is really more important than the planting aspects 

 of this, Mr. Penfold? 



Mr. Penfold. Maintenance is extremely important. Going back 

 with our field people to look at those plantations to see if they have 

 survived, see if they are not being covered up by other vegetation 

 and need to be released — maintenance is extremely important. 



Mr. Vento. And that is the criticism. The IG's report really 

 didn't talk about the tree plantation effort at all. In fact, she made 

 a disclaimer today; Ms. Fleischman did. 



Mr. Penfold. Let me emphasize, the priority for our funds is 

 getting the trees planted and making sure that the important ele- 

 ments for keeping those trees alive are taken care of. So that is 

 where our priorities have been. We have not put as much emphasis 

 on some of the fertilization and the pre-commercial thinning. 



Mr. Vento. Chief Robertson? 



Mr. Robertson. Yes, the same with us. Reforestation is the 

 number one priority, and then, to the extent that we have funds 

 left; over in our budget, we do these sorts of things like pre-commer- 

 cial thinning to increase growth. 



I might add, Mr. Chairman, back on a previous question, what 

 we give our forest supervisors in the budget process is a lump sum, 

 and they have the flexibility now to shift the lump sum dollars to 

 reflect their priorities, and I know our present budget system per- 

 mits supervisors now to shift money from timber sales or whatever 

 over to other programs, and they come in with their priorities to 

 me. 



Mr. Vento. So they have money for preparation of sales, and if 

 you get injunctions they ccm take the money out and put it into re- 

 forestation activities, commercial thinning, and other activities in- 

 sofar as it will go. 



Mr. Robertson. Yes. But they always get to the bottom line be- 

 fore they get through with the work they want to do. I mean that 

 is just the nature of the system. 



Mr. Vento. Their money comes out of the K-V funds, but it has 

 to be appropriated out again; is that correct? Is there any direct 

 money that comes back to you? BLM gets the 25 percent receipts; 

 it comes back in, and they get it from the counties. You don't have 

 that same sort of set-up, do you, Mr. Robertson? 



