California Forest Ecosystems Act : hearing before the Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Natural Resources of the Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, One Hundred Third Congress, second session, on H.R. 4068, October 6, 1994

122 Pages·1995·3.8 MB·English

by  United States. Congress. House. Committee on Agriculture. Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Natural Resources

V
CAUFORNIA FORBT ECOSYSTEMS ACT
Y 4. AG 8/1:103-81
California Forest Ecosystens Act* S. . .
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPECIALTY CROPS
AND NATURAL RESOURCES
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED THIRD CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
ON
H.R. 4068
OCTOBER 6, 1994
Serial No. 103-81
Printed for the use of the Committee on Agriculture
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
86-967 WASHINGTON : 1995
ForsalebytheU.S.GovernmentPrintingOffice
SuperintendentofDocuments,CongressionalSalesOffice,Washington,DC 20402
ISBN 0-16-046691-1

V
CAUFORNIA FOREST ECOSYSTEMS ACT
Y4,AG 8/1:103-81
California Forest Ecosystens Act> S. . .
V
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPECIALTY CROPS
AND NATURAL RESOURCES
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED THIRD CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
ON
H.R. 4068
OCTOBER 6, 1994
Serial No. 103-81
4PI? f 4 f995
--^^^
Printed for the use of the Committee on Agriculture
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
86-967 WASHINGTON : 1995
ForsalebytheU.S.GovernmentPrintingOffice
SuperintendentofDocuments,CongressionalSalesOffice.Washington.DC 20402
ISBN 0-16-046691-1
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
E (KIKA) DE LA GARZA, Texas, Chairman
GEORGE E. BROWN, Jr., CaUfomia PAT ROBERTS, Kansas,
Vice Chairman Ranking Minority Member
CHARLIE ROSE, North CaroUna BILL EMERSON, Missouri
DAN GLICKMAN, Kansas STEVE GUNDERSON, Wisconsin
CHARLES W. STENHOLM, Texas TOM LEWIS, Florida
HAROLD L. VOLKMER, Missouri ROBERT F. (BOB) SMITH, Oregon
TIMOTHY J. PENNY, Minnesota LARRY COMBEST, Texas
TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota WAYNE ALLARD, Colorado
BILL SARPALIUS, Texas BILL BARRETT, Nebraska
JILL L. LONG, Indiana JIM NUSSLE, Iowa
GARY A. CONDIT, CaUfomia JOHN A. BOEHNER, Ohio
COLLIN C. PETERSON, Minnesota THOMAS W. EWING, IlUnois
CALVIN M. DOOLEY, CaUfomia JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, CaUfomia
EVA M. CLAYTON, North Carolina JACK KINGSTON, Georgia
DAVID MINGE, Minnesota BOB GOODLATTE, Virginia
EARL F. HILLIARD, Alabama JAY DICKEY, Arkansas
JAY INSLEE, Washington RICHARD W. POMBO, CaUfomia
THOMAS J. BARLOW III, Kentucky CHARLES T. CANADY, Florida
EARL POMEROY, North Dakota NICK SMITH, Michigan
TIM HOLDEN, Pennsylvania TERRY EVERETT, Alabama
CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY, Georgia FRANK LUCAS, Oklahoma
SCOTTY BAESLER, Kentucky RON LEWIS, Kentucky
KAREN L. THURMAN, Florida
SANFORD D. BISHOP, Jr., Georgia
BENNIE G. THOMPSON, Mississippi
SAM FARR, California
PAT WILLIAMS, Montana
BLANCHE M. LAMBERT, Arkansas
Professional Staff
Dlanne Powell, StaffDirector
Vernie Hubert, ChiefCounsel and Legislative Director
Gary R. Mitchell, Minority StaffDirector
James A. Davis, Press Secretary
Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Natural Resources
CHARLIE ROSE, North Carolina, Chairman
SCOTTY BAESLER, Kentucky, TOM LEWIS, Florida
Vice Chairman BILL EMERSON, Missouri
SANFORD D. BISHOP, Jr., Georgia JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, CaUfomia
GEORGE E. BROWN, Jr., CaUfomia JACK KINGSTON, Georgia
GARY A. CONDIT, CaUfomia BOB GOODLATTE, Virginia
EVA M. CLAYTON, North CaroUna JAY DICKEY, Arkansas
KAREN L. THURMAN, Florida RICHARD W. POMBO, CaUfomia
DAVID MINGE, Minnesota TERRY EVERETT, Alabama
JAY INSLEE, Washington RON LEWIS, Kentucky
EARL POMEROY, North Dakota
CHARLES W. STENHOLM, Texas
COLLIN C. PETERSON, Minnesota
SAM FARR, California
HAROLD L. VOLKMER, Missouri
(II)
CONTENTS
Page
H.R. 4068, a bill to improve the health and productivity of the National
Forest System lands in the State of California and to demonstrate the
use of ecosystem management as a practical management program on
such lands 2
Emerson, Hon. Bill, a Representative in Congress from the State ofMissouri,
prepared statement 18
Rose, Hon. CharUe, a Representative in Congress from the State of North
Carolina, prepared statement 17
Witnesses
Francis, Michael, director, National Forests Program, theWilderness Society . 31
Prepared statement 61
Heissenbuttel, Anne E., director, forest planning and policy, American Forest
and PaperAssociation 29
Prepared statement 48
Herger, Hon. Wally, a Representative in Congress from the State ofCalifor-
nia 21
Hofmann, John, vice president, government affairs, California Forestry Asso-
ciation 27
Prepared statement 39
Lehman, Hon. Richard H., a Representative in Congress from the State
ofCalifornia 20
Owens, Jim, executive director. WesternAncient Forest Campaign 33
Prepared statement 66
Reimers, Mark A., Deputy Chief, Programs and Legislation, U.S. Forest Serv-
ice 22
Submitted Material
Buntrock, Grant, administrator, Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation
Service, U.S. DepartmentofAgriculture, prepared statement 77
Gorton, Terry Barlin, assistant secretary for forestry and rural economic
development, California ResourcesAgency, prepared statement 83
Heard, Keith, executive vice president, National Com Growers Association,
prepared statement 86
Hoover, Frannie, representative for Sierra Club Califomia/Nevada/Hawaii,
prepared statement 89
Keith, Kendell, president, National Grain and Feed Association, prepared
statement 92
Larson, Kim, soybean and com producer, Willmar, Minnesota, prepared state-
ment 103
Mitchell, Larry, vice president of government relations. National Farmers
Union, prepared statement 105
Sentar, David,American Com GrowersAssociation, prepared statement 108
(HI)

CALIFORNIA FOREST ECOSYSTEMS HEALTH
ACT
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1994
House of Representatives,
Committee on Agriculture,
Subcommittee on Specialty Crops
AND Natural Resources,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 9:45 a.m., in room
1300, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Calvin M. Dooley
(acting chairman) presiding.
Present: Representatives Condit, Cla3^on, Pomeroy, Emerson,
Doolittle, Goodlatte, and Lewis.
Also present: Representative Dooley, member of the committee.
Staff present: Glenda L. Temple, clerk; Alexandra Buell, Jim
Davis, Keith Pitts, and Sean Dougherty.
Mr. Dooley. I call to order the Specialty Crops and Natural Re-
sources Subcommittee. We are here to review H.R. 4068, the Cali-
fornia Forest Ecosystems Health Act.
Also, at this point in the record, I will include a copy of the H.R.
4068 and prepared statements from Mr. Rose and Mr. Emerson.
[H.R. 4068 and the prepared statements of Mr. Rose and Mr.
Emerson
follow:]
(1)
103d congress H. R. 4068
2d Session
To improve the health and productivity of National Forest System lands
in the State of California and to demonstrate the use of ecosystem
management as a practical management program on such lands.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Majich 17, 1994
Mr. Lehman introduced the followingbill; whichwas referredjointlyto the
Committees on Natural Resources andAgriculture
A
BILL
To improve the health and productivity of National Forest
System lands in the State of California and to dem-
onstrate the use of ecosystem management as a practical
management program on such lands.
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House ofRepresenta-
2 tives ofthe United States ofAmerica in Congress assembled,
3 SECTION 1. SHORTTITLEANDTABLE OF CONTENTS.
—
4 (a) Short Title. This Act may be cited as the
5 "California Forest Ecosystems Health Act".
—
6 (b) Table of Contents. The table of contents for
7 this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title and tableofcontents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. Ecosystem managementplans forNational Forest Sj-stem landsinCali-
fornia.
Sec. 5. Processforfull implementationofecosystem managementplans.
Sec. 6. Research and monitoringprogram.
Sec. 7. Miscellaneous requirements.
1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
2 The Congress finds the following:
3 (1) Although people have had an active part in
4 the development and maintenance of forest structure
5 and the condition of the National Forest System
6 lands in the State of California for many years, re-
7 cent forest management policies have often resulted
8 in a degeneration of the forest structure and a loss
9 of forest health and vigor.
10 (2) The Forest Service, through the judicious
11 use of ecosystem management, has an opportunity to
12 reverse these forest management policies and restore
13 the health and vigor of National Forest System
14 lands in California.
15 (3) Ecosystems are dynamic and in a state of
16 constant change, and it is not possible to preserve
17 a given ecosystem condition in a static state over a
18 period of time.
19 (4) The many and varied resources and uses of
20 National Forest System lands provide both tangible
21 and intangible benefits to the people of the United
22 States.
•HR 4068 IH
3
1 (5) Although management of National Forest
2 System lands in California has traditionally placed
3 first priority on the need to produce maximum vol-
4 umes of timber, the other multiple forest resources
5 and services are equally important to the people of
6 California and the United States.
7 (6) Ecosystem management must balance the
8 needs of outdoor recreation, range, timber, water-
9 shed, fish, and wildlife, as required by the Multiple-
10 Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960 (16 U.S.C. 528 et
11 seq.), as well as protect soil and air quality and pro-
12 vide for forest research.
13 (7) National Forest System lands in California
14 include some of the most unique forest ecosj'stems in
15 the world, including giant sequoias, coastal red-
16 woods, and bristlecone pines.
17 (8) Destructive forest fires classified by the
18 Forest Service as "intense" have occurred in unpree-
19 edented numbers and size on the National Forest
20 System lands in California in recent years, and these
21 fires pose a threat to the very health of the forests
22 and present a danger to human life and property.
23 (9) The Forest Service, through the judicious
24 use of ecosystem management, has an opportunity to
25 reduce the likelihood that fires classified as "in-
•HR 4068 IH :-n *./#** - 1