PRINTER'S NO. 3196
No. 236 Session of 1994
INTRODUCED BY LYNCH, GEIST, JADLOWIEC, CESSAR, PITTS, WAUGH, ZUG, HERSHEY, HUTCHINSON, BARLEY, MERRY, HANNA, SAURMAN, HENNESSEY, ROHRER, BAKER AND CLYMER, FEBRUARY 2, 1994
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, FEBRUARY 2, 1994
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 make a report and recommendations 17 to the House of Representatives within six months; and be it 18 further
1 RESOLVED, That this committee shall consist of six members, 2 three of whom are appointed by the majority leader and three of 3 whom are appointed by the minority leader; and be it further 4 RESOLVED, That this committee may hold hearings, take 5 testimony and make its investigations at such places as it deems 6 necessary in this Commonwealth. Each member of the committee 7 shall have power to administer oaths and affirmations to 8 witnesses appearing before the committee; and be it further 9 RESOLVED, That this committee shall, among other things as it 10 deems necessary, gather information which leads to a reasonable 11 determination of the following issues: 12 (1) What is the allowable scientific cut in State 13 forests? 14 (2) What is the actual annual timber cut in State 15 forests? 16 (3) What should be done to attain and maintain an 17 allowable scientific cut? 18 (4) How would maintaining the allowable scientific cut 19 in State forests impact on State revenues and on job 20 creation? A5L82JAM/19940H0236R3196 - 2 -