59 



TESTIMONY BEFORE THE NATIONAL PARKS. FORESTS. 

 AND PUBLIC LANDS SUBCOMMITEE 

 OF THE INTERIOR COMMITTEE 



By 



Martin Jack Desmond, Director 

 Northwest Reforestation Contractors Association 



March 30, 1993 



Chairman Vento, Representative DeFazio, and other distinguished gentlemen 

 and ladies, my name is Martin Jack Desmond, director of the Northwest 

 Reforestation Contractors Association. Our association is pleased to be able 

 to provide testimony on forest investments on our public lands. Our 

 association consists of 75 member companies who provide forestry-related 

 services for public agencies and private timber landowners. 



As we are all aware, there is a very bitter fight that has been waged over 

 timber supply and old growth forests in the Pacific Northwest for over a 

 decade. 'Our testimony will address what we believe is one small element of 

 the puzzle to help resolve this acriminous debate. 



Our association completed a 60-page report entitled Investing in America: 

 Intensive Management Opportunities in the Pacific Northwest last week that 

 analyzed the potential for both forestry job creation and increased timber 

 volume through intensive management from both public and private 

 forestlands in the states of Oregon and Washington. There are many 

 opportunities to create intensive management forestry jobs in the Pacific 

 Northwest that are both environmentally and economically sound. I have 

 been requested to limit my comments to investments on public forestlands 

 so I will not be discussing the private forestland component except for one 

 relevant item. 



U S FOREST SERVICE 



Of the 50.1 million acres of forest lands in Oregon and Washington, the 

 Forest Service manages 19.3 million acres. In Oregon and Washington, the 

 agency manages 48.2% and 27% of the respective states' forestlands. 



