182 



timber harvest goal will untie the hands of the agency profession- 

 als. 



The revision will be a better product as a result. As things stand 

 right now, no matter how much effort the Forest Service puts in 

 this revision, no matter how much money it takes, no matter how 

 much public involvement is solicited, the answers will still be the 

 same. The 450 is viewed as a mandate. The 50-year contracts are 

 viewed as a mandate. Permission to cut timber is used as a man- 

 date. 



Unless the law and the contracts are changed, the revision will 

 bring no real change and will fail." 



Senator Murkowski. I guess my question is under 346 there is no 

 provision for the recommendations of the TLMP process. We will 

 just do away with it, and whatever those recommendations finally 

 come out to be would not necessarily be included. 



I am wondering if SEACC has a position. 



Mr. Edwards. It is my understanding that it would do away with 

 TLMP, but it is my understanding that 



Senator Murkowski. No, it would supercede it. In other words, if 

 this passes, why, it passes, and the recommendations of TLMP are 

 not addressed in the sense of what we are looking at now. We are 

 looking at two bills. 



Mr. Edwards. It is my understanding that the Forest Service 

 would still be constrained as for every other region of the forest 

 system to do regional plans like this, and that is not removed by 

 346. In fact, what sections 202 and 346 would do is provide guid- 

 ance for the TLMP revision. That is our position on that. 



Senator Murkowski. In other words, you are saying we would 

 throw out the plan and do it over again? 



Mr. Edwards. No, sir. TLMP is currently under revision, 

 and 



Senator Murkowski. TLMP is going to be finished this year. 



Mr. Edwards. No, sir. It will not be finished until 1992. 



Senator Murkowski. I believe it is going to be finished late this 

 year, and the information that we get from the Forest Service is 

 that it may go into next year, but they still hope that it will be 

 finished this year. 



I think we can for the record make that determination at any 

 length. 



Mr. Edwards. Senator Murkowski, actually what will be happen- 

 ing is that the Forest Service will be submitting the draft on De- 

 cember 31st of this year. 



Senator Murkowski. That is correct. 



Mr. Edwards. The plan will not be finished until probably 1992 

 by our estimation. 



Senator Murkowski. I guess the concern is do we take the rec- 

 ommendations into account as we address legislation, and it would 

 seem that that would be a reasonable and responsible course of 

 action to take; or do we just pass the proposed legislation. 



We have the 23 moratorium areas of S. 346 which you might say 

 circumvents the planning process, but I do not want to belabor 

 that. 



Mr. Edwards. Senator, what would actually be happening there 

 is that the revision will be proceeding without clear direction from 



