SENATE COMMITTEE ON

AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

April 11, 2003 Hearing Room B

10:00 a.m. Tapes 66 - 67

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sen. Frank Shields, Chair

Sen. Roger Beyer, Vice-Chair

Sen. Tony Corcoran

Sen. Bill Fisher

STAFF PRESENT: Judith Callens, Committee Administrator

Megan Jensen, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: SB 670 Public Hearing

Informational Meeting

Roy Woo, Department of Forestry Director, on SB 430 and SB 699

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker		Comments
TAPE 66, A
003	Chair Shields		Calls meeting to order at 10:07 a.m. and opens public hearing on SB 670.
SB 670 – PUBLIC HEARING
008	Judith Callens		Provides overview on SB 670.
017	Chair Shields		Closes public hearing on SB 670 and opens informational meeting.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING Roy Woo, Department Of Forestry Director, on SB 430 and SB 699
033	Roy Woo		Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF). Reviews the forest management plan for northwest Oregon state forests (EXHIBIT A).
115	Sen. Corcoran		Asks why the Clatsop State Forest has 840 miles of logging roads and only one mile of non-motorized road.
125	Woo		Offers to address the issue later in the presentation.
128	Sen. Corcoran		Asks about spending money on road roads in the Tillamook State Forest.
134	Woo		Offers to address the issue later in the presentation.
140	Ross Holloway		ODF Program Director. Gives overview of the presentation: Recreation management on state forests Socioeconomic analyses prepared by the Department and by the Tillamook Rainforest Coalition Affects on water quality and fish habitat Strategic plan for managing state forests in Northwest Oregon affected by Swiss Needle Cast
155	Holloway		Discusses the development of the Recreation Management Plan of Northwest Oregon State Forests. Provides a description of the planning processes used to develop the current recreation management plans. Discusses two primary components of recreation management on state forest lands: Staffing necessary to establish a management presence and effectively deal with recreational use on these lands The development and maintenance of facilities for the ongoing and anticipated recreational use that the lands receive
240	Holloway		Discusses budget issues for the recreation management program.
258	Chair Shields		Asks if Woo has met with Senator Ringo regarding the management program.
263	Woo		Offers to give Senator Ringo a tour of the forests to provide more information on forest management goals.
271	Sen. Beyer		Asks about managed uses such as logging occurring in the same areas used for recreation.
284	Holloway		Explains that recreation activities are generally compatible with managed forest uses.
299	Sen. Beyer		Talks about trails closing for maintenance and inquires if any complaints are made regarding the over-management of the wilderness experience.
301	Holloway		Responds that people generally agree to projects such as trail maintenance.
312	Woo		Explains that the Tillamook State Forest is an integrated forest and elaborates.
348	Holloway		Addresses the question of why there are no non-motorized trails in the Clatsop State Forest. Describes a new 10 year action plan which includes specific development efforts for recreation with new priorities. Continues discussion of recreation management plan budget and suggests more work is needed.
TAPE 67, A
002	Gary Lettman		ODF Resources Planning Program. Discusses the “Northwest Oregon State Forests Management Plan: Connection to State and Local Economies” study published by ODF (EXHIBIT C): Production functions, benefits and costs Revenue distribution Economic impacts
119	Chair Shields		Talks about the difficulties of discerning economic impacts.
150	Lettman		Explains methods for determining economic impacts.
170	Chair Shields		Comments that the economic formulas are complicated.
208	Sen. Beyer		Asks about the timber inventory volume of the Clatsop and Tillamook State Forests.
217	Holloway		States that the quoted figure of 9-13 billion board feet is based on certain calculation methods and elaborates.
259	Sen. Beyer		Confirms that ODF does not currently have a better estimate.
261	Holloway		Affirms.
263	Sen. Beyer		Asks about the sustainable yield harvest potential.
288	Holloway		Comments on quoted figures and explains.
298	Lettman		Discusses the origins of the figures.
309	Sen. Beyer		Talks about the original proposal for timber harvest and asks if the amount of harvested timber will increase.
321	Holloway		Discusses different estimates of available timber and explains the potential is there to increase the harvest in a cautious manner.
346	Chair Shields		Talks about differing figures on available timber and asks if the habitat conservation plan also affect those figures.
357	Holloway		Explains that the original model projecting 279 million board feet for harvest does reflect the habitat conservation strategies.
377	Chair Shields		Inquires about anticipating the effect of the habitat conservation plan before it is actually in place.
390	Holloway		Elaborates on including the habitat conservation plan.
TAPE 66, B
004	Chair Shields	Wonders if there is potential for a conservation plan that would insulate ODF from lawsuits under the Endangered Species Act.
012	Holloway	Comments that there will most likely be unanticipated results but that ODF has invested much effort in the project.
023	Chair Shields	Asks if enough studies have been done on the value of recreation for coastal businesses.
037	Lettway	States ODF could do an analysis of any new proposals.
045	Sen. Beyer	Asks about ODF’s Salmon Anchor Habitats Strategy plan.
046	Holloway	Explains that the Salmon Anchor Habitats Strategy was created to put more focus on protecting salmon habitats and discusses the development of the plan.
092	Sen. Beyer	Asks if the Salmon Anchor Habitats Strategy is in addition to the management plan as a whole for the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests.
096	Holloway	Responds that the Salmon Anchor Habitats Strategy was anticipated when the management plan was adopted and is an additional strategy overlay.
100	Woo	Explains the intent of the Salmon Anchor Habitats Strategy plan.
145	Sen. Beyer	Comments on the Salmon Anchor Habitats Strategy plan and the amount of harvestable timber included in the forest management plan.
170	Woo	Offers to provide more information on the subject and elaborates.
186	Chair Shields	Asks about timber harvest and habitat protection compromises.
248	Holloway	Clarifies the definition of old growth and elaborates.
287	Woo	Discusses policy pieces imbedded in the plan that could provide possible compromises.
356	Chair Shields	Remarks that the forest management plan is a complicated issue.
372	Woo	Talks about the administrative rules which direct the management plan.
395	Sen. Fisher	Asks what land will be used for the Salmon Anchor Habitat Strategy program.
TAPE 67, B
002	Holloway	States that the basin areas for the Salmon Anchor Habitat Strategy programs are not yet set aside.
007	Sen. Fisher	Asks if 155,000 acres will be set aside for salmon habitat.
010	Holloway	Affirms and offers to provide more information on the data.
015	Chair Shields	Asks for information on the Heritage Program.
038	Holloway	Addresses the issue of new roads in the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests.
016	Ted Lorensen	ODF Policy Division. Discusses forest practices, water quality and fish (EXHIBIT D). Talks about trends in water quality and fish management practices. Suggests modern forest management can be compatible with high water quality.
203	Sen. Corcoran	Asks if Doug fir is the predominant tree in forest areas affected by the Swiss Needle Cast disease.
213	Holloway	Explains that the spruce hemlock zone is most affected by the Swiss Needle Cast disease on the coast and explains the role of Doug fir in the spread of the disease (EXHBIT E).
239	Chair Shields	Closes informational meeting and adjourns meeting at 11:50 a.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – Informational meeting, ODF, written testimony, Roy Woo, 3 pp.

B – Informational meeting, ODF, written testimony, Ross Holloway, 5 pp.

C – Informational meeting, ODF, written testimony, Gary Lettman, 11pp.

D – Informational meeting, ODF, written testimony, Ted Lorenson, 318 pp.

E – Informational meeting, ODF, written testimony, Ross Holloway, 8 pp.

F – Informational meeting, ODF, written testimony, Roy Wu, 10 pp.