Regulatory Prescription to create healthy forests and a healthy economy

1
Regulatory Prescription to create healthy
forests and a healthy economy

• Rep. Richard DeBolt, Washington State Legislature

2
Timber and Washingtons 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

3
Timber and Washingtons Economy
4
Timber Industry Employment 1990 to present
5
Timber and Washingtons Economy
6
Forestland Ownership
7
Timber and Washingtons Economy
8
Volume of Timber Harvested by Ownership FY
2002In millions of board feed
While the federal government manages 43.6 of
the timberlands, only 2 of the timber harvested
comes from federal forestlands.
9
Timber and Washingtons Economy
10
Statewide Washington Harvests 1970 - 2002
Total
Hardwoods
11
Timber and Washingtons Economy
12
Forest Products Gross Business Income Trends
13
Timber and Washingtons Economy
14
Timber Industry Regulations in Washington

• 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.

15
Timber and Washingtons Economy
16
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

17
Timber and Washingtons Economy
18
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

19
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

20
Outlook for timber harvest (DNR preferred
alternative)
21
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.

22
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

23
Regulatory Prescription to create healthy
forests and a healthy economy

• Rep. Richard DeBolt, Washington State Legislature