QUINCY LIBRARY GROUP IMEETING
QUINCY LIBRARY
QUINCY, CA
MARCH 14,1996

Meeting was called to order by Bill Coates

Attendance list attached

Minutes were accepted with the following clarifications:

Report of Landbase Issues--Conflicts over landbase and windthrow projects are to be settled at the Ranger District Level.

Strategic Planning-- Discussion of QLG legislation, minutes should reflect that Rose Comstock suggested that the rest of the interests in the Sierra Nevada need to be educated about our legislative effort; not that the legislation should address the entire Sierra as previously recorded.

RECENT AND UPCOMING MEETINGS

DC Briefing- Bill Coates

Coates briefed the group on his recent trip to Washington, DC. Forest Service Chief, Jack Ward Thomas was heard to make comments to the effect that the QLG was dangerous to financing the Forest and that the QLG seems to have the idea that it is running the forest service.

Dave Unger (USFS, Washington Office) testified before congress that the RPA plans were going great. Coates testified to the contrary. Coates also shared George Terhune's letter on wildland fire policy with Bill McCleese, stating that the current fire plan was a “joke".

Unger told Coates that the QLG would be sent a “pre-draft" of the Wildland Fire Policy. Coates indicated that he felt that the USFS Washington Office was lining up to be unfriendly.

Coates shared the QLG legislative concepts with Dave Tenney and John McGill of Wally Herger's office. They are not interested in co-sponsonng the bill with Lyons because of past history, but are interested in sponsoring the bill because it is in the Congressman's district. Further discussions with Mark Rey (Staff to House Natural Resources Committee) concluded that the QLG should do a stand-alone bill instead of adding to any riders because it appears that the continuing resolutions are going to get tied up over the salvage bill.

Sens. Boxer and Feinstein are also interested in the QLG legislation and Feinstein is interested in coming to the area the week of 3/18/96.

Rich Rominger, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, and Jim Lyons, Undersecretary of Ag. (Natural Resources) were briefed by Coates on the acrimonious attitude coming from the Chief's office.

Lyons assured Rominger that he "was working on this". Ann Kennedy, assistant to Glickman verified Coates' opinion of where the Chief stood on the issue of the QLG. Rominger concluded the discussion by telling Coates "I think we have some work to do" .

Coates added that Rominger seemed to be receptive to the water issues and the concepts presented by NREL on Ethanol.

DC Briefitig-- Linda Blutn

Blum met personally with Congressman Fazio and discussed QLG.

Blum briefed Rominger on where the QLG is with the Forest Health Pilot project, including our critique of the two FHP drafts and the problems therein (no commodities, landbase conflicts). She told Rominger that these things were very divisive to the group. Blum also shared the QLG letter on Wildland Fire Policy with him. Andrea Lawrence, Sierra Nevada Alliance President strongly endorsed the QLG effort.

Blum met with Dinah Bear, General Counsel for the Council on Environmental Quality and discussed the Salvage Rider, SNEP, Cal-Owl and Quincy Library Group. Ms. Bear asked for information from Linda on the following items relating to the QLG: anti-trust, FACA, composition of QLG, Cal-Owl modelling of QLG, who in the FS is thwarting QLG efforts and who seemed to be helping.

Forest Congress

Rose Comstock briefed the group on the Forest Congress process, stating that she learned a lot and was encouraged by the bonding and commitment that was shared by participants.

Susan Baremore reported that she spoke with Jim Lyons during the event and that he seemed eager to help the QLG with legislation. Baremore shared expected follow-up activities to the Congress via the Redding Roundtable and the Lead Partnership Group. She also briefed the group on the development of another stewardship bill this year.

Frank Stewart expressed concern over some aspects of how the Congress was conducted, lack of product, and summed up his feelings by saying that the "answers are not on the East Coast".

Stewart also relayed discussions that had occurred at the Congress about certification of National Forests.

$1 MILLION MONITORING

George Terhune passed out a draft of the $1 Million report to be addressed to Lyons. Steve Self suggested that the chart be amended so that the sawlog component in on the chart with a footnote indicating that there is additional biomass. It was agreed that the report needed to be sent to Rominger as well as those who received copies of the EIS Summary.

Dave Stone will verify the numbers in the report within "a week or two". M/S/C

Jackson/Gregory to have George Terhune send the finished and verified report to Lyons. Susan Baremore to assist with courtesy copy mailing.

$4.7 MILLION REPORT

Baremore reported to the group on recent meetings, etc. regarding the Forest Health Pilot

Project. Frank Stewart expressed the need to get the QLG landbase in the Forest Service GIS system in order to get the QLG landbase on Forest Service Administrative maps and get Administrative maps with the FHP projects plotted on them. Dave Stone indicated that this is being done.

Frank gave the group a breakdown on volumes from the LNF portion of the FHP projects (9MM sawlog and 85K green tons biomass) and on the LNF regular program (45MMBF sawlog and 250K green tons biomass). Frank informed the group that the market for chips is currently at $40BDT, down from $150 one year ago. Frank also shared the percentages of sales to sell by quarter in FY 96. 1st qtr: 1%, 2nd qtr: 14%, 3rd qtr: 25%, 4th qtr. 60%.

Maps were again discussed and after Baremore reviewed a chronology of the request for maps, the Forest Service asked for the request to be in writing. No commitment was made as to when the maps could be completed.

Mark Madrid asked that all letters go to Dave Stone. M/S/C Susan Baremore to be recognized by the Forest Service as authorized to sign and send correspondence regarding the Forest Health Pilot Project.

LASSEN NATIONAL FOREST REPORT

John Sheehan chaired this portion of the meeting. Sheehan summarized Bill Coates' recent presentation at the Lassen County Board of Supervisors where he requested the Board to contribute financially to the QLG effort and to make efforts to make the timber industry in Lassen County prosper. These comments resulted in the Forest Service taking exception to some of the remarks and the release of a message across the Forest Service Data General System mischaracterizing both the comments made by Coates and the QLG in general.

Leonard Atencio (LNF) gave a presentation to report that the Lassen will be doing the following:

Discussion ensued about the landbase issues. Steve Self asked if the District Rangers had been given instructions to not go into off-base areas. Atencio answered "no" and that he had no authority by which to issue such a directive. Atencio added that the only reason to analyze the deferred areas was for cumulative Effects and that he had asked the Districts to explain why there was analysis occuring in the off-base areas.

With regard to the issue of windthrown timber, District Ranger Mike Williams said that it was highly unlikely that any of the salvage/windthrow would be outside of the offbase areas, but that he would not commit resources to off-base areas without consulting the QLG.

QLG members asked that people and resources are used in the on-base areas first and that non-controversial areas are given priority.

Linda Blum raised concern over the fact that there is currently 12MMBF of timber in the green landbase that was going forward with full envirorunentai review instead of under the Salvage rider.

The status of the Butt Creek project was discussed. Mike Williams reported that the Forest Service did look to treat more acres in Phase II of Butt Creek.

Leonard reported that he would be making a presentation at the Lassen Co. Board of Supervisors meeting on 3/26. Tom Nelson asked that Leonard be ready to report on how much timber did not sell in FY 95, how much is under contract, what percentage of local mill supply is under contract, and projected receipts to counties. QLG members to attend Board meeting.

Leonard also reported that the Barkley Fire Salvage Sale was due to be advertised on 3/19/96 and sold on 4/3/96. M/S/C to send letter to Lynn Sprague expressing our objection to the sale of Barkley.

ETHANOL MEETING

Mike De Lasaux announced a field trip to discuss the Ethanol/Biomass issue on 3/26 and 3/27.

QLG WHITE PAPER

M/S/C Yost/Mitchell to have George Terhune and others develop a compendium of information clarifying/explaining issues relating the QLG proposal.

EIS RESPONSE

John Sheehan reported that it was time for the 3rd quarter billing. M/S/C Gregory/Terhune to renew contracts with Susan Baremore and Linda Blum for a three-month period.

GRANT PROPOSAL

John Sheehan shared a current draft of the grant proposal with the group. Discussion was held regarding potential grant sources, including Irvine, Bank of America, and National Fish and Wildlife Fund. Concern was raised over the amount of the grant, and it was decided that it was best to leave the amount intact to ensure adequate funding. M/S/C Terhune/Gregory to send grant.

SUSTAINABLE AMERICA

Tom Nelson reported that QLG has received mention in the Vice-President's document on sustainabillty. QLG to give a presentation at a CERT meeting on 5/1-3/96.

NEXT MEETING

Next meeting was set for 4/25/96 in Susanville. Place to be announced.

ACTION ITEMS

Action Items from this meeting include:

$1 Million Monitoring letter to be finished, verified and sent to Jim Lyons (Terhune)
Courtesy copies of above letter to be sent to EIS Summarv List (Baremore)
Letter requesting maps to be sent to the Forest Service (De Lasaux?)
Maps and Proiect information on FHP from Dave Stone (Baremore)
Attend Lassen Co. Board meeting (Baremore, B. West, J. Dillard, CFA)
Continue work on QLG white paper (Terhune & Co.)
Grant to be finished and sent (Sheehan, Baremore, Blum)

Respectfully Submitted,

/s/

Susan Baremore

ATTENDANCE LIST

Leonard Atencio Lassen National Forest
Susan Baremore Consultant
Linda Blum Environmentalist and Independent Thinker
Ken Cawlev Meadowbrook Conservation Associates
Louann Charbonneir
Bill Coates Plumas Co.
Rose Comstock Clover Logging/California Women In Timbers
Mike De Lasaux UC Cooperative Extension
Anne Eldred Sierra County School Board
Larry Eppeneder Plumas County Supervisorial Candidate
Paul Harris WCIW #3074
Mike Jackson Attomey
Mark Madrid Plumas National Forest
Brooks Mitchell Mitchell Timber Falling
Tom "Baby Face" Nelson Sierra Pacific Industries
Bob Olsen Lassen National Forest
Garry Pritchard Ultrapower
Harry Reeves Environmentalist
JP Reynolds Feather River Bulletin
Bill Rouse Sierra County School District
Phyllis Self Shasta-Tehama CWIT
Steve Self Sierra Pacific Industries
John Sheehan Plumas Corporation
Frank Stewart Collins Pine Co.
Dave Stone Plumas National Forest
George Terhune Retired
Pat Terhune Retired
Brian West Sierra Pacific Industries
Mike Williams Lassen National Forest
Jim Wills
Mike Yost Friends of Plumas Wilderness

 

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