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Bumpers Q&A 4/3 



QUESTIONS FOR THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE 



SECTION 705 -- TIMBER HARVEST GOAL 



QUESTION 1 . The General Accounting Office (GAO) report on the Tongass last year recommended that 

 Tongass timber supply goal should be determined through the normal Forest Service land management 

 planning process, rather than through a "rigid per-decade requirement." Do you think this is a good idea? 



ANSWER: We do not consider Section 705(a) ot ANILCA a 'requirement." Rather, we view it as 

 requiring that we maintain a land base sufficient to supply 4.5 billion board feet per decade if sufficient 

 demand and markets exist. This and a host of other issues are currently being examined in detail 

 through the Tongass Land and Resource Management Plan revision. It, as a result of the revision, we 

 find Section 705(a), or any other provision of law, to be inconsistent with providing a balanced program 

 of multiple-use resources from the Tongass, we will seek changes in such laws. However, we believe 

 that legislative changes at the present time would be premature. 



QUESTION 2. Could you still have an added investment program for cutting marginal timber without the 

 automatic $40 million and 4.5 language of Section 705? 



ANSWER: Yes, depending on appropriation levels. Further, the demand for marginal timber would be 

 determined by the price and demand for the products produced from that timber. 



QUESTION 3. What has been the average timber volume cut on the Tongass since 1 980? 



ANSWER: The annual average volume scaled on the Tongass since 1 980 excluding utility logs is 285 

 MMBF. The annual average including utility logs is 334 MMBF. 



QUESTION 4. What was the peak timber volume cut since 1 980? 



ANSWER: The peak timber volume scaled from the Tongass since FY 1 980 occurred in FY 1 980 with 

 428 MMBF, excluding utility logs. The total volume was 480 MMBF in FY 1980. 



50-YEAR CONTRACTS 



QUESTION 1. What are the differences in administration between a normal Tongass short-term timber sale 

 and these 50-year contracts? 



ANSWER: There are no differences in the administration of harvest and road construction require- 

 ments on the long-term sales and short-term sales. 



QUESTION 2. Under the 50-year contracts, does the Forest Service have full discretion to decide whether 

 or not to let the pulp mills tog in any given area? 



ANSWER: Yes, the Forest Service has sole authority to specify areas to be included for harvest under 

 the long-term contracts. 



QUESTION 3. Does the Forest Service believe that the pulp mills could not continue to operate if their 

 contracts were replaced by nonmal, short-term sales? 



