10 



But the question would be, does your idea presuppose that we 

 could look at some management activities on the tens of thousands 

 of acres of second-growth lands that are set off limits in these re- 

 ports? That is the problem here. Until we cross that threshold, 

 right now there is nothing — ^they couldn't look at anything. You get 

 50 miles in from Murrelets, Jack Ward Thomas reserves plus the 

 additional stuff proposed in the SAT report, and assume all that 

 is going to be off limits. About 30 percent of Jack Wtird Thomas 

 is set aside as old-growth, the other 70 percent is second-growth, 

 and on the BLM lands the proportion is much higher because we 

 have virtually no old growth on BLM lands. 



So, what assumptions would we make to enter into this so that, 

 you know, we could cover any — because if they did the report now 

 they would be restricting themselves to about 5 or 10 percent of the 

 land base that is outside of the injunctions and the SAT report. 



Mr. Wyden. Well, it would seem to me that we ought to tie this 

 to the overall solution that we hope will begin to develop on Friday. 

 With the timber summit, as you know, we are going to try to move 

 from there to a comprehensive resolution of natural resources pol- 

 icy, deal with the injunctions, and I would like to see what we are 

 talidng about here with the amendments on the K-V fund tied into 

 it. 



I think you have a legitimate concern here. If you did it right 

 now you wouldn't even l^ able to look at many lands. But clearly 

 that is going to change, or we hope it will change, as we get a com- 

 prehensive resolution through legislation and really make that be- 

 ginning effort on Friday. 



The fact of the matter is that there are a varietv of uncertainties 

 about this legislation. For example, the question that I thought one 

 of our colleagues might ask — and maybe everybody is sparing me 

 this as well — is, how much it will cost. You have asked the ques- 

 tion of essentially, where do you do it. We would also have the 

 question of how much it will cost. I mean the cost is going to be 

 determined by how much work needs to be done, the planning and 

 thinning and conversion and fertilization. And your question goes 

 a step further with respect to exactly where it ought to be done, 

 given the situation with the injunctions. My own sense is that we 

 ought to tie this bill into the comprehensive solution that we begin 

 to see develop Friday and in the days afterward. 



Mr. Vento. Further questions? Mr. LaRocco, did you have a 

 question of our colleague? 



Mr. LaRocco. How much will this cost? [Laughter.] 



No. 



Mr. Wyden. What I could tell my colleague is 



Mr. Vento. As much as you want to spend. Yes. 



Mr. Wyden [continuing]. CRS gave us some potential estimates 

 and they are really extraordinary. But I appreciate my colleague 

 sparing me that cost question. 



Mr. DeFazio. Well, I think we are talking about investment, and 

 I know my colleague supports investment. This is not cost. This is 

 investment. 



Mr. LaRocco. This appears to be good infrastructure and invest- 

 ment in the future. 



