As part of its 2014 budget proposal, the U.S. Forest service lowered its timber harvest goal for the 2014 fiscal year to 2.38 billion board feet from 2013's goal of 2.8 billion board feet. This comes after the U.S. Department of Agriculture, of which the Forest Service is a part, published its intent to increase annual forest product sales to 3 billion board feet in its "Increasing the Pace of Restoration and Job Creation in Our Natural Forests" plan.
The Hardwood Federation argues that the reductions will not only cause a strain on supply, they would also increase the threat of wildfire, insects and disease.
The budget would also cut $116 million from hazardous fuel removal programs. The Department of the Interior as a whole was forced to halve its total hazardous fuel budget request. House Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson last week told Evergreen Magazine the White House Office of Management and Budget had informed his staff that "there's no evidence that hazardous fuels reductions reduces the catastrophic fires."
However, Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said in a hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee that the agency's timber harvest goals are conservative and do not take into account administrative efficiencies it hopes to achieve. Chris Topik, director of Restoring America's Forests for the Nature Conservancy told Evergreen he believes the agency intends to spend about $50 million from its Internal Rate of Return budget on hazardous fuels removal. The budget also requests an increase of $13 million for research into broadening markets for forest products.
Those who wish to voice their opinions can find their representatives' and senators' contact information on the Hardwood Federation website.
