• Objectives

To use timber sales as a means of implementing forest plan objectives and maintaining healthy ecosystems. The program includes (1) silvicultural examination; (2) timber sale preparation, which includes planning, implementation, and completion; (3) harvest administration; and (4) post-sale treatment.

• Program Description

Timber production from national forests provides wood for American consumers, as well as jobs and associated income to local communities. Timber sales are designed to incorporate broader objectives, which may include insect and disease control, wildlife habitat management, and fuels treatment, in addition to providing forest products.

The National Forest System has historically produced approximately 20 percent of the total softwood harvested in the United States each year. The proportion has decreased in recent years due to increased concerns for other forest

endangered species. The amount of national forest timber harvested each year depends upon many factors. The most important are uncut volume under contract and new housing starts (single family and multi-family units), which is a major market for softwood timber. As stated in the Draft 1995 RPA Program, it is very unlikely that there will be a significant expansion of timber supplies from public lands. Thus, RPA projections for increased timber demand can only be met by increases in harvest on private lands, growth in imports, expanded use of recycling, and technologies that conserve wood.

Timber sales from NFS lands cannot occur on short notice. An orderly process must be followed to complete required planning, ensure compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other laws, provide appropriate access through road reconstruction and construction, and properly coordinate with management of other resources. Funding for resource coordination support for timber projects is included in the Timber Sales Management expanded budget line item for the minerals, fire,

1998 Explanatory Notes

wildlife, fish, range, soil, air and water programs. Forest roads and engineering funds are included in the Reconstruction and Construction appropriation.

1. Silvicultural Examination

The objective of silvicultural examination is to periodically review, analyze, and treat timber stand conditions to meet land and resource management plan objectives. It is also to monitor and certify silvicultural treatments and provide information to ensure the proper management of forest resources.

This program gathers timber stand data, compiles and stores these data in stand files, and annually prepares an analysis and written prescription for about 2.7 million acres of forest land to meet forest plan objectives.

Timber stands are normally examined at 10-year intervals in order for land managers to monitor changing stand conditions and treatment needs. Examinations should be accomplished 3 to 5 years before the proposed treatment, to allow for the orderly development of treatment prescriptions and to use the information in the NEPA process.

A stand prescription, based on data from the silvicultural examination, describes current stand conditions and proposed silvicultural treatment. Although Forest Service employees conduct most stand examinations, use of contractors is common.

2. Timber Sales Preparation - Planning, Implementation, and Completion

The purpose of sale preparation is to design timber sales to implement forest plan objectives. These include supplying forest products, maintaining healthy ecosystems, and providing benefits for other resources in a cost efficient manner. The timber sale preparation program is comprised of the following:

· New sale volume: New sales, including long-term sales, begin 1 to 5 years before advertisement so that land and resource management plan objectives can be achieved in a cost-effective manner. Sale preparation costs for salvage sales are covered under the Salvage Sale Fund. The Forest Service

Fuelwood and Other Miscellaneous Products: There is continuing public demand for a wide variety of other forest products that are sold each year. These products include house logs, posts and poles, cedar bolts for shingles, Christmas trees, mushrooms, beargrass, pinyon nuts, and ferns. Program costs for fuelwood and other miscellaneous nonconvertible products are borne entirely from timber sale funds. These costs sustain the program, prevent theft, administer the program, and protect other resource values. In FY 1996, the equivalent of 50 million cubic feet (MMCF) (250 million board feet, MMBF) of fuelwood was sold. An additional 8.4 MMCF (42.2 MMBF) was given free. Receipts from FY 1996 fuelwood sales were $3.2 million.

1998 Explanatory Notes

economic feasibility of preparing a timber sale proposal. This statement is a prerequisite to entering the proposed timber sale project in the 5-year action plan, and to making further project investments. This stage also begins the NEPA process.

Sale Area Design (Gate 2): The sale area design is performed 1 to 3 years before the sale is advertised. The intensive field investigation within and adjacent to the proposed project area provides information used to prepare, analyze, and evaluate alternatives under the NEPA process. The purpose of both the intensive field examination and subsequent NEPA analysis is to develop an environmentally sound and economically efficient project. As part of this process, the responsible official determines the type of environmental analysis and documentation required by the proposed project (categorical exclusion, environmental assessment or environmental impact statement) conducts appropriate public involvement, and coordinates with other agencies.

During the design stage of the sale, an evaluation is made of the surrounding area (a drainage, transportation analysis area, or other logical planning unit), even though a proposed timber sale may affect only a portion of the area. The pattern, methods, and timing of treatments for the entire area are considered to ensure that developments will meet management objectives. Detailed information is developed on stand conditions, silvicultural prescriptions, logging systems applications, roads, planned fuel treatments, and other resources. Sale planners complete economic analyses to show the economic results and trade-offs involved in the sale. This gate is completed upon approval of the environmental analysis by the responsible official.

Sale Plan Implementation (Gate 3): Sale plan implementation is performed 3 months to 3 years before the sale is advertised. Using the direction contained in the environmental analysis, this includes on-the-ground location of harvest units, timber marking, determination of timber volume and quality, logging system design, and road survey and design. Right-of-way easements are obtained. Economic assumptions from the sale area design stage are validated to ensure that sale-related activities will not generate unnecessary costs.

USDA, Forest Service

Final Sale Package Preparation (Gate 4): The final sales package is prepared 2 to 3 months before the sale is advertised. The contract, timber appraisal, advertisement, bid form, prospectus, and sale area map are assembled, and then the sale is advertised.

Bid Opening (Gate 5): This step includes accepting the bids, conducting an auction when appropriate, and determining the apparent successful bidder.

Sale Award (Gate 6): The sale award process includes reviewing bidder qualifications, obtaining equal employment opportunity clearance, completing a road option investigation and feasibility review (if applicable), identifying the qualified sale purchaser prior to award, signing the contract, and posting the sale information to the timber sale accounting system.

3. Harvest Administration

The objective of harvest administration is to minimize adverse environmental impacts and administer wood fiber harvesting in accordance with timber sale contracts and permits. Additional objectives are to protect the government from theft, waste, fraud, and abuse.

Timber sale contracts are administered to meet land management objectives, fulfill contractual obligations, and protect the public's interests. Administration includes: (1) Ensuring that purchasers understand contract objectives; (2) Approving and monitoring purchaser activities for contract compliance and sale objectives; (3) Enforcing environmental protection laws applicable to the purchasers' operations and contracts; (4) Ensuring that advance contract payments are adequate for the expected level of activity; (5) Assuring all trees cut and removed from the sale are designated; (6) Measuring (scale) logs to determine payments; (7) Monitoring and enforcing domestic manufacturing requirements for Federal and private timber under the Forest Resource Conservation and Shortage Relief Act of 1990; (8) Negotiating and resolving disputes concerning contract performance; and, (9) Preventing timber theft through investigation and cooperation with law enforcement personnel. Debarment and suspensions are

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USDA, Forest Service

IBM computer system we have begun the development of a new application that will integrate all timber sale related program and financial information processing and reporting functions, including the automation of the timber sale process at the field level. The Sales Tracking & Reporting System (STARS), Timber Activity Control System (TRACS), Timber Sale Accounting System (TSA), stand records system, cruise program, appraisal system, and vegetation databases will eventually all be integrated or linked within TIM. TIM will provide integrated databases that will be managed locally, with edit checks and one entry design to facilitate data entry, while providing for upward reporting. A first release consisting of the forest product permitting system is planned for June, 1997. A second release including the complete timber sale process is expected by the beginning of FY 1998.

Special Forest Products: The utilization of special forest products from the national forests will be emphasized to provide (at fair market value) help to local communities, while maintaining viable ecosystems as provided in forest land management plans.

Program in 1998

The FY 1998 regular (green) timber sales program is based upon the preparation and advertisement for sale of 2.5 billion board feet (BBF) (0.481 billion cubic feet BCF) as compared to 2.75 BBF (0.528 BCF) in FY 1997. The total timber sale offer for FY 1998, including salvage sales, is estimated to be 3.78 BBF (.735 BCF) compared to 4.18 BBF (.815 BCF) in FY 1997. This volume level is based on implementing ecosystem management and the President's Forest Plan for the Pacific Northwest.

Also included in this program level are the funds and targets to prepare and offer timber sales from Oregon and California grant lands, historically administered by the Forest Service. Funding is included to cover silvicultural examinations and resource coordination and support activities needed to be accomplished in FY 1998 on sales scheduled for sale in FY 1998 and beyond. Engineering costs associated with timber roads are covered in the Reconstruction and Construction account. Particular emphasis