PRINTER'S NO. 249
No. 17 Session of 1995
INTRODUCED BY LYNCH, FARGO, PITTS, BAKER, BROWN, GODSHALL,
WAUGH, DEMPSEY, MILLER, SAYLOR, HERSHEY, GEIST, CAWLEY, HESS,
SCHULER, ROHRER, PESCI, CIVERA, RUBLEY, LEH, ZUG, MERRY AND
HANNA, JANUARY 25, 1995
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JANUARY 25, 1995
A RESOLUTION
1 Establishing a committee to investigate the tree harvesting
2 practices of the Department of Environmental Resources in
3 State forests.
4 WHEREAS, To maintain healthy forests tree harvesting should
5 be done when trees are "ripe," a period of tree growth which
6 lasts approximately six years; and
7 WHEREAS, Tree harvesting practices currently being used by
8 the Department of Environmental Resources in State forests focus
9 more on ridding these forests of old, overly ripe trees than on
10 harvesting usable timber; and
11 WHEREAS, Increases in State revenues and in job creation
12 would result from harvesting ripe trees rather than old,
13 unusable ones; therefore be it
14 RESOLVED, That a committee be established to review tree
15 harvesting practices of the Department of Environmental
16 Resources in State forests, and to make a report and
17 recommendations to the House of Representatives within six
1 months; and be it further
2 RESOLVED, That this committee shall consist of six members,
3 three of whom are appointed by the majority leader and three of
4 whom are appointed by the minority leader; and be it further
5 RESOLVED, That this committee may hold hearings, take
6 testimony and make its investigations at such places as it deems
7 necessary in this Commonwealth. Each member of the committee
8 shall have power to administer oaths and affirmations to
9 witnesses appearing before the committee; and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That this committee shall, among other things as it
11 deems necessary, gather information which leads to a reasonable
12 determination of the following issues:
13 (1) What is the allowable scientific cut in State
14 forests?
15 (2) What is the actual annual timber cut in State
16 forests?
17 (3) What should be done to attain and maintain an
18 allowable scientific cut?
19 (4) How would maintaining the allowable scientific cut
20 in State forests impact on State revenues and on job
21 creation?
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