Transcript Regulatory Prescription for healthy forests and a healthy

Regulatory Prescription
to create healthy forests and
a healthy economy
Rep. Richard DeBolt, Washington State Legislature
Timber and Washington’s Economy
• Forest products manufacturing is the second
largest sector in the state.
• Forest products manufacturing account for
more than 15% of total manufacturing
income in the state.
• Employment in the logging, wood product &
paper product sectors has been in decline.
• Unemployment in timber dependent
counties remains higher than in urban
counties
Timber and Washington’s Economy
Timber Industry Employment – 1990 to present
25000
Natural Resources &
Mining
Logging
20000
15000
Wood Product
Manufacturing
Sawmills & Wood
Preservation
Paper Manufacturing
10000
5000
0
Jan 90
Jan 95
Jan 00
Jan 04
Timber and Washington’s Economy
Forestland Ownership
State Trust
Lands (DNR)
10%
Tribal
6%
Other
1%
Industrial
Private
20%
Nonindustrial
Private
19%
Federal
44%
Timber and Washington’s Economy
Volume of Timber Harvested by Ownership FY 2002
In millions of board feed
State - DNR,
456,516, 13%
Tribal, 319,118,
9%
Other, 40,930,
1%
National
Forests/
Federal,
84,822, 2%
While the federal government
manages 43.6% of the timberlands,
only 2% of the timber harvested
comes from federal forestlands.
Private,
2,681,224, 75%
Timber and Washington’s Economy
mmbf
Statewide Washington Harvests 1970 - 2002
Total
Hardwoods
2000
1990
1980
1970
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
Timber and Washington’s Economy
Forest Products Gross Business Income Trends
$10,000
$8,000
$6,000
$4,000
$2,000
$0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Lumber & Wood Products
Forestry
Paper & Allied Products
Timber and Washington’s Economy
Timber Industry Regulations in Washington
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•
•
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1949 - Hydraulics Code Guidelines
WDFW
1969 - National Environmental Policy Act
EPA
1970 - Federal Clean Air Act
EPA
1971 - Wash. Clean Air Act
DNR/DOE
1971 - State Environmental Policy Act
DOE
1971 - State Shorelines Management Act
DOE
1971 - Wash. Pesticide Control Act
WSDA
1972 - Insecticide, Fungicide & Rodenticide Act EPA
1972 - Federal Clean Water Act
EPA
1973 - State Water Pollution Control Act
DOE
1973 - Federal Endangered Species Act
USFW/NMFS
1974 - State Forest Practices Act
DNR
1997 Habitat Conservation Agreement with Feds
1999 Forest & Fish Law
DNR
Forest practices rules have been amended and strengthened
thirteen times since they were implemented in 1975.
Timber and Washington’s Economy
Impact of environmental regulations
• Deterioration of forest health
• Higher costs to taxpayer
• Fire suppression
• Lost revenue for trust beneficiaries
• Lost revenue for local government
• Higher risk of fire damage to public
and private property
Timber and Washington’s Economy
Prescription for a healthier forest
Recent Legislative Efforts to
Improve Forest Health
Changes to the Forest & Fish Law
Stormwater fees on timberlands
prohibited
Contract harvesting program
implemented
• Statewide forest health legislation
Prescription for a healthier forest
DNRs new preferred alternative plan
•10-year plan
•Increase in sustained yield
•Increase in net revenue
•Precommercial thinning in riparian
areas (mainly where hardwoods exist)
•No management in riparian areas
other than road access
•Adoption expected this summer
Outlook for timber harvest
(DNR preferred alternative)
700
600
mmbf/year
500
400
300
200
100
0
Preferred Alternative
Current Policy
Prescription for a healthier forest
• Streamline the environmental appeals
process
• Improve accountability in rulemaking
• Expand “contract harvesting”
• Provide emergency powers to remove
of fuel loads in conservation areas
• Allow more flexibility for harvesting of
hardwoods in riparian areas.
Prescription for a healthier forest
• Fully fund the Forest Riparian Easement
Program to compensate landowners
• Review Forest Practices Act to
determine if desired outcomes are
being achieved
• Verify federal acceptance of Forest &
Fish law by June 2005.
• Revisit and revise Forest & Fish Law to
resolve unintended consequences
Regulatory Prescription
to create healthy forests and
a healthy economy
Rep. Richard DeBolt, Washington State Legislature