SILESl Ccrlif. Chqmber of Commerce Seeks Morkering lmprovemenls

Five recommendatibns aimed at improving practices and procedures in timber marketing operations between private loggers and the United States Forest Service in California, have been adopted by the California State Chamber of Commerce. They cover improvements in Forest Service appraisal methods, increases in the volume of timber offered for sale, and establishment of standard arbitration procedures to settle technical issues which might arise in contracts with the Forest Service.

They were formulated by a special sub-committee <;f the Statewide Natural Resources ,committee, rvhich held consultations with informed persons representing both the lumber industry and the Forest Service. The committee is headed by Dr. Robert Gordon Sproul of Berkeley.

One recommendation, presented by Dr. Sproul, asked "That the United States Forest Service compile the basic data as to operating costs and lumber sales prices, used by it in appraising national forest timber values, from operations cutting primarily,on government lands." Sproul pointed out that the special study committee found logging operations are generally more expensive tmder United States Forest Service contracts than under private contracts. "This is in large part due to the historical fact that forest areas selected in early days for private opei'ations were more accessible and had better quality timber," Sproul said. "Laler the lands became more expensive to reach and to log and products were of somervhat lower value."

Sproul said, "The recommendation goes to the root .:f the question as to w'hether the government shall act as a stabilizing force in the industry or shall attempt to get as much financial return from the operation of the lands under its control as the stumpage and operators will bear."

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Another recommendation urged government agencies administering national forests and other government timber lands in California to promptly increase the volume of timber offered for sale to the full sustained yield allowable cut of the lands they administer.

Explaining the effect such a recommendation would have in California if it were carried out, Sproul said:

"This would about double the amount of timber which has been available annually from national forests, with resultant decreased demand for rapidly shrinking supplies of privately owned timber, reduced competition for the limited supplies nolv available from government lands, reduction of consumer lumber prices and increased future timber supplies. Hundreds of thousands of acres of national forest land in California have mature timber. but losses from fire, insects, disease, and natural mortality approximately balance new grow[h. These lands are not now producing any net growth, and will not unless the mature timber is harvested," he added.

Other recommendations adopted included:

1. That adequate appraisal allowance be given ernment agencies selling timber to warrant the of risk inherent in harvesting operations.

2. That all government agencies selling timber by govelement in Cali- fornia include in timber sale agreements a clause establishing standard arbitration procedure through which all disagreements arising over technical and practical matters can be promptly settled.

3. That the State Chamber of Commerce support federal legislation which provides for standard arbitration in all government timber sales contracts, and/or the right to court review.

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