April 4, 2003

By Danny Dructor

Executive Vice President, American Loggers Council

281-432-7167 or americanlogger@aol.com

http://www.americanloggers.org

Friday, March 28 thru Tuesday, April 1, 2003, found approximately 40 loggers representing 25 states across the country bringing their issues to Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The loggers found themselves enjoined in promoting President Bush's Healthy Forest Initiatives, seeking assistance in creating low-grade wood markets for the production of biomass fuels and cogeneration facilities, as well as attempting to get legislation adopted that would allow them to haul state legal loads on the Federal Interstate Highway System.

Leading the way was the American Loggers Council (ALC) President Bob Luoto of McMinnville, Oregon and the American Loggers Council Board of Directors. Several of the members arrived a few days early with scheduled appointments with their representatives to discuss their issues.

The ALC events began on Friday afternoon with a presentation by Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dave Tenny. Mr. Tenny presented an overview of the President's Healthy Forest Initiative and the many aspects of the program as it attempts to unlock much of the procedural gridlock that has stymied the US Forest Service's ability to effectively manage the Nation's Forests. The meeting was attended by members of the American Loggers Council, as well as Richard Lewis from the Forest Resources Association (FRA), and John Mechem with the American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA).

Saturday was reserved for the Spring Board of Directors meeting of the ALC where most of the national issues confronting loggers were addressed and the need to promote reasonable solutions to those issues. As the meeting progressed, it was clear that the loggers stand united on a national level and understand each others regional, as well as national concerns, and are addressing those issues at the national level.

Perhaps the issue of most concern was the implementation of President Bush's Healthy Forest Initiative. The 25 plus loggers who were able to stay in town on Monday and Tuesday informed many of their Senators and Congressmen of their support for the initiatives, and seeing to it that the initiatives were carried to the ground level for programs ranging from stewardship contracting to timber sales.

The loggers also found themselves in full support of promoting low-grade fuel markets for pulpwood and fiber coming from not only public lands, but private lands as well. They sent the message to Congress that there should be support and incentives for biomass fuel projects and cogeneration plants.

Loggers from Virginia met with Senator Allen (R-Va.) and Congressman Goolatte (R-Va.) to pursue legislation that would allow recognized state legal loads to be transported on the National Interstate Highway System. Both gentlemen expressed their support for such a bill.

Besides meeting with many of their representatives, loggers also met with Under Secretary of Agriculture Mark Rey, U.S. Department of Interior Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals, Rebecca Watson, U. S. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth and Associate Director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives in The White House William Greene. Many loggers were welcomed in discussions with the House Appropriations Sub Committee for Resources, Energy and Conservation as well as the House Subcommittee on Forest and Forest Health and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Other issues of concern that were presented included retaining the existing exemptions from federal manufacturer excise tax and highway use tax for mobile machinery used in logging as well as allowing federal timber harvests to continue on public lands in order to put the 25% funding receipts back to counties and schools that are in desperate need of those funds in lieu of creating a "welfare" fund from the government to the counties.

Congressmen and Senators alike were asked to consider placing the timber industry under agriculture, which would then allow the loggers to apply for some of the low interest loans that are available to farmers for operational costs and investments in their businesses.

Many of the members of the House and Senate now have a clear idea of who the American Loggers Council represents and how the organization can work across party lines on issues that not only affect the logging industry, but the health of our forests and the economic condition of rural America. If your logging association is not a part of the American Loggers Council, they should be. We have shown that by working together, we can have an impact.

The American Loggers Council is a nonprofit, 501 (c)(6) Association that represents Professional Loggers in 25 States across the US. If you would like more information on how you or your State Association can become involved with the American Loggers Council, please contact Danny Dructor, Executive Vice President at 281-432-7167 or e-mail at americanlogger@aol.com, or visit their website at www.americanloggers.org