COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE E (KIKA) DE LA GARZA, Texas, Chairman WALTER B. JONES, North Carolina HARLEY O. STAGGERS, JR., West Virginia TIMOTHY J. PENNY, Minnesota RICHARD H. STALLINGS, Idaho JIM JONTZ, Indiana TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota CLAUDE HARRIS, Alabama BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado MIKE ESPY, Mississippi BILL SARPALIUS, Texas JILL L. LONG, Indiana GARY CONDIT, California ROY DYSON, Maryland H. MARTIN LANCASTER, North Carolina EDWARD R. MADIGAN, Illinois, E. THOMAS COLEMAN, Missouri BILL EMERSON, Missouri STEVE GUNDERSON, Wisconsin TOM LEWIS, Florida ROBERT F. (BOB) SMITH, Oregon LARRY COMBEST, Texas BILL SCHUETTE, Michigan FRED GRANDY, Iowa WALLY HERGER, California CLYDE C. HOLLOWAY, Louisiana JAMES T. WALSH, New York BILL GRANT, Florida 26 se91 KF27 A344 CONTENTS H.R. 1037, a bill to prohibit the sale for export of unprocessed timber from Federal lands west of the 100th meridian in the contiguous 48 States...... Morrison, Hon. Sid, a Representative in Congress from the State of Washing- AuCoin, Hon. Les, a Representative in Congress from the State of Oregon Blomquist, Jim, Washington director, public lands program, Sierra Club. Gahr, William E., Associate Director, Food and Agriculture Issues, Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division, U.S. General Accounting Kuehne, Gus, president, Northwest Independent Forest Manufacturers. Lamson, Susan R., Deputy Director, External Affairs, Bureau of Land Man- Swift, Hon. Al, a Representative in Congress from the State of Washington........ Unsoeld, Hon. Jolene, a Representative in Congress from the State of Wash- REVIEW OF PROPOSALS TO RESTRICT TIMBER EXPORTS TUESDAY, MAY 8, 1990 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON FORESTS, FAMILY FARMS, AND ENERGY, COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:05 a.m., in room 1310, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Harold L. Volkmer (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Representatives Olin, Stallings, Jontz, Johnson, Harris, Morrison, Smith, and Herger. Staff present: Daniel E. Brinza, chief counsel; Joseph Muldoon and Andy Baker, assistant counsels; Alice Devine, minority associate counsel; Francie Monaghan, clerk; Timothy P. De Coster, Joe Dugan, and Allison Biggs. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. HAROLD L. VOLKMER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MISSOURI Mr. VOLKMER. The hearing will come to order. The Subcommittee on Forests, Family Farms, and Energy is meeting today to review proposals to restrict the export of raw timber from the United States. In order to assure that most timber harvested from Federal lands is processed domestically, the Interior Appropriations Act annually includes language which generally prohibits the export of raw timber removed from Federal lands west of the 100th meridian. The administration's budget last year called for lifting this restriction as a way to raise revenues for the Federal Government through increased stumpage prices. By contrast, legislation is pending to instate the restriction on a permanent basis. As timber supplies from national forests and other Federal lands have begun to decline in some areas, the call for increased export constraints has climbed. The draft plans for national forests in the Pacific Northwest call for reduced timber harvesting, and the spotted owl and old-growth ecosystem conservation debate portend still greater reductions. Some content, therefore, that the industry ought to be assured that whatever timber is removed from Federal lands will be available for domestic processing rather than shipped overseas. This matter, like so many we are facing in the natural resources area, is complicated and difficult to resolve. There are many competing factors to be considered, with jobs at stake on both sides of (1) the equation. A number of our colleagues have worked diligently on this issue, and we appreciate their contributions. It appears that the time is at hand to come to a decision on this matter. Related legislation is moving through both the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee. The Senate has also adopted a comprehensive package addressing this issue. It is our purpose today to learn what we can about the magnitude of these exports and the effectiveness of export prohibitions so that we can judge the merits of extended restrictions. [H.R. 1037 follows:] |