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Testimonv of Robert E. Wolf 

 on H.R. 2153, Giant Sequoia National Preserve Bill 

 March 11. 1994, House Com. on Agriculture 



.Mr. Chairman: 



I am a forester. It was mv good fortune to Darticioate in creating a 

 number of major forest laws, including the Wilderness Act, the Resources 

 Planning Act of 1974 and the .National Forest Management Act of 1976. In 

 working on the 1976 Act I found myself in professional disagreement on some 

 matters with my long-time friend, Congressman George Brown - but I also was 

 in agreement with his views on many issues. I am pleased to be able to give 

 support to his proposal the protect the Giant Sequoias on the National 

 Forests . 



There are others more experienced in the ecological effects of logging 

 disturbances on the Giant Sequoia who can provide you with more detail. I 

 will concentrate on the financial benefits this bill can provide. 



My acquaintance with the Sequoia National Forest goes back 35 vears, to 

 1959. As a professional staff member of the then Senate Interior & Insular 

 Affairs Committee Senator Tom Kuchel , the Republican Floor Assistant, and 

 Senator Clair Engle had me go to the Sequoia. There was a raging controversv 

 over the 29 Million board feet Forest Service "Salmon Creek" timber sale that 

 opened the Kern Plateau to logging. The then existing, but 'now defunct. Mt. 

 Whitney Timber Co., had lost a 45 Million BF sale. Their mill was at 

 Johnsondale in the heart of the Forest. The rationale for the Kern Plateau 

 sale was to sustain Mt . Whitney, and open the heretofore roadless Plateau to 

 logging. I have attached to my statement rav 1959 report. I will later outline 

 losses logging 74,400 acres for 370,000,000 board feet of Kern Plateau timber 

 from 1956 to 1983, as well as losses logging 808 million board feet since 

 1983. This 11 year period alone cost the Treasury roughly S58.000.000. There 

 is no sign that the future sales will break even. 



HOW SUBSTANTIAL THESE LOSSES ARE CAN BE APPRECIATED BY REALIZING THAT 

 THE SEQUOIA FOREST CONSUMED IN EARMARKING TIMBER RECEIPTS $2.2 MILLION MORE 

 THAN IT TOOK IN - AND THIS IS BEFORE COUNTING TIMBER APPROPRIATIONS. FOR THE 

 5 YEARS, 1988-1992 IT COST TAXPAYERS AN ESTIMATED t25,000,000 TO SUBSIDIZE 

 LOGGING 36,500 ACRES ON THE SEQUOIA. THE SIERRA COST WAS $16,500,000 TO LOG 

 46,700 ACRES. 



Restraining Sequoia and Sierra National Forest logging will save the 

 taxpayer's money, and, more vital, will protect the unique Giant Sequoias. 



WHY RESTRAIN NEAR LOGGING NEAR GIANT SEQUOIAS ? 



Trees, and plants differ from other living things, especially man. Trees 

 can't move from the exact place where they are born. Man has been around 

 barely 2 million vears. The Giant Sequoias originated 10 to 15 million vears 

 ago. People seldom live for 100 years. Individual Sequoias live for as long 

 as 4,000 years. Several date from before the birth of Jesus Christ. Seauoias 

 were here long before man and mammals. Some of the largest Sequoias weigh 12 



