Ann Forest Burns, Scott Horngren, Ross Mickey, and Tom Partin1, American Forest Resource Council
We have been asked to share the timber industry’s perspective on how effective the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) has been since its implementation and whether changes are need to ensure that its original conservation, social and economic objectives are met in the future. Obviously, the effectiveness of any plan can be judged only against what the plan was designed to accomplish. The NWFP was an outgrowth of the Forest Ecosystem Management Assessment Team (FEMA), established by President Clinton after the 1993 “Forest Summit.” The President directed FEMAT to develop management strategies for federal forests within the range of the northern spotted owl that would (1) consider human and economic dimensions of the problem; (2) protect the long-term health of forests, wildlife, and waterways; (3) be scientifically sound, ecologically credible, and legally responsible; (4) produce a predictable and sustainable level of timber sales and nontimber resources that would not degrade the environment; and (5) end gridlock and emphasize collaboration among federal agencies…