Accelerated Restoration on Federal Lands and the Positive Effect on Solid
Wood, Pulp, and Biomass Supply
Steve Brink
Vice President-Public Resources
California Forestry Association
What’s the Plan?Congress directs 20% increase in wood supplyAdministration responds with – it will take us 3 years
to get from 2.4 billion board feet sold to 3.0Forest Products Target includes sawlog, fuelwood,
pulp, and biomassAdministration recognizes they have at least 65
million acres at risk to insects, disease, and wildfirePace will increase from 3.7 million acres in 2011 to 4
million acres in 2012Forest Products Target 2.4 bbf in 2011; 2.6 in 2012;
2.8 in 2013; 3.0 in 2014
Expanding Mechanical Thinning
Increase in mechanical treatment from 195,000 acres in 2011 to 211,700 acres in 2012
Increase to 228,000 acres in 2013 and 244,000 acres in 2014
Increased Efficiency
3 new Categorical Exclusions including one for Restoration
Use of Objection Process for all NEPA documents
Improved NEPA ProceduresFocused EAs (15 pages instead of 150 pages)Adaptive EISs (anticipate changes such as bark beetle
kill)
Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Act (CFLRA)
20 projects selected nationwide; funded at $40 million
Increase in opportunity for more forest health and fuels reduction
Federal Forest Resource Coalition (FFRC)
National Coalition both small and large companies & regional trade associations
In 24 States
Coalition members employ over 350,000 workers
Over 650 Mills
Payroll in excess of $19 Billion
Influence of FFRC in 2012
Instrumental in getting Congress to set a wood supply target; first time since 1992
Instrumental in getting the Target raised to 3.0 billion board feet (Sawlog, Pulp, Fuelwood, Biomass)
Instrumental in maintaining funding levels for forest products budget line items
Influence of FFRC in 2013
Will Lobby For:Increase in wood supply to 3.5 billion board feetIncrease in forest products budget by 10%Restore fuels reduction budget to 2011 levelsRestore Roads budget to 2011 levelsReauthorize Stewardship Contracting; incorporate a
Goal of retaining existing industry infrastructure“Intelligent Project Design”
In Summary
We should see a continual increase in wood supply (Sawlogs, Pulpwood, and Biomass) from Federal Land
With Intelligent Project Design, we could certainly see an improvement in ability to economically move forest by-products and small diameter material
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