BLM Public Domain Lands
Volume of Timber Offered for Sale Has Declined Substantially Since Fiscal Year 1990 Gao ID: GAO-03-615 June 19, 2003For several decades, debate over how to balance timber sales with resource protection and recreational use on federally managed lands has been at the heart of controversy surrounding federal land management. The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is one of the federal agencies that manages some of the nation's forests--about 53 million acres--under its public domain forestry management program and offers timber for sale from these lands. With regard to BLM's offerings of timber for sale, congressional requesters asked GAO to determine (1) the statutory framework for BLM timber sales, (2) the trend in BLM timber volume offered for sale, and (3) factors contributing to any observed trends. GAO reviewed laws, regulations, and BLM policy governing BLM timber sales. GAO obtained and reviewed data on the volumes and composition of BLM timber sale offerings from fiscal years 1990 through 2002 and met with agency officials and others to identify factors affecting timber sale offering trends and their importance.
A variety of land management and other environmental laws provide the statutory framework for timber sales on BLM public domain land. In particular, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act permits timber sales as one of several uses for BLM public lands. Timber sales also must comply with other environmental laws, such as the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Water Act. From 1990 to 2002, the volume of timber offered for sale by BLM declined about 74 percent. Declines were experienced for each of the timber's components--sawtimber (trees or logs suitable for conversion into lumber) and other wood products (small logs used to make firewood, posts, and poles). Consequently, in 2002, the proportion of sawtimber in the total volume offered for sale was less than it was in 1990. The principal factor contributing to the decline in timber volume was the governmentwide shift in forestry program emphasis beginning in the late 1980s from timber production to enhancing forest ecosystem health. This shift was based on the need to provide more protection for nontimber resources and to place a greater emphasis on the removal of smaller trees to reduce the risks of insects, fire, and disease. As a result, according to BLM officials, timber became a by-product rather than the focus of BLM's management of its public domain forests.
GAO-03-615, BLM Public Domain Lands: Volume of Timber Offered for Sale Has Declined Substantially Since Fiscal Year 1990
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Report to Congressional Requesters:
United States General Accounting Office:
GAO:
June 2003:
BLM PUBLIC DOMAIN LANDS:
Volume of Timber Offered for Sale Has Declined Substantially Since
Fiscal Year 1990:
GAO-03-615:
GAO Highlights:
Highlights of GAO-03-615, a report to Congressional Requesters
Why GAO Did This Study:
For several decades, debate over how to balance timber sales with
resource protection and recreational use on federally managed lands
has been at the heart of controversy surrounding federal land
management. The Department of the Interior‘s Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) is one of the federal agencies that manages some of the nation‘s
forests”about 53 million acres”under its public domain forestry
management program and offers timber for sale from these lands.
With regard to BLM‘s offerings of timber for sale, congressional
requesters asked GAO to determine (1) the statutory framework for BLM
timber sales, (2) the trend in BLM timber volume offered for sale, and
(3) factors contributing to any observed trends.
GAO reviewed laws, regulations, and BLM policy governing BLM timber
sales. GAO obtained and reviewed data on the volumes and composition
of BLM timber sale offerings from fiscal years 1990 through 2002 and
met with agency officials and others to identify factors affecting
timber sale offering trends and their importance.
What GAO Found:
A variety of land management and other environmental laws provide the
statutory framework for timber sales on BLM public domain land. In
particular, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act permits timber
sales as one of several uses for BLM public lands. Timber sales also
must comply with other environmental laws, such as the National
Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean
Water Act.
From 1990 to 2002, the volume of timber offered for sale by BLM
declined about 74 percent. Declines were experienced for each of the
timber‘s components”sawtimber (trees or logs suitable for conversion
into lumber) and other wood products (small logs used to make
firewood, posts, and poles). Consequently, in 2002, the proportion of
sawtimber in the total volume offered for sale was less than it was in
1990.
The principal factor contributing to the decline in timber volume was
the governmentwide shift in forestry program emphasis beginning in the
late 1980s from timber production to enhancing forest ecosystem
health. This shift was based on the need to provide more protection
for nontimber resources and to place a greater emphasis on the removal
of smaller trees to reduce the risks of insects, fire, and disease. As
a result, according to BLM officials, timber became a by-product
rather than the focus of BLM‘s management of its public domain
forests.
www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-03-615.
To view the full product, including the scope and methodology, click
on the link above. For more information, contact Barry T. Hill at
(202) 512-3841 or hillbt@gao.gov.
[End of section]
Contents:
Letter:
Results in Brief:
Background:
Federal Land Policy and Management Act and Other Environmental Laws
Provide the Statutory Framework for BLM Timber Sales:
The Volume and Composition of BLM Timber Sale Offerings from Public
Domain Lands Have Changed Significantly Since 1990:
Shift in Program Emphasis Was the Primary Cause of the Decline in
Timber Offered for Sale:
Agency Comments and Our Evaluation:
Scope and Methodology:
Appendix I: Public Domain Forest and Woodland Acres by BLM State
Office:
Appendix II: Volume of Timber Offered for Sale from BLM Public Domain
Forests and Woodlands, Fiscal Years 1990 through 2002:
Appendix III: Volume of Timber Offered for Sale from Public Domain
Lands by BLM State Office, Fiscal Years 1990 and 2002:
Appendix IV: Comments from the Department of the Interior:
Appendix V: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments:
Tables:
Table 1: Public Domain Forest and Woodland Acres by BLM State Office:
Table 2: Annual Volume of Timber Offered for Sale from BLM Public
Domain Forests and Woodlands, Fiscal Years 1990 through 2002:
Table 3: Volume of Timber Offered for Sale from Public Domain Lands by
BLM State Office, Fiscal Years 1990 and 2002:
Figures:
Figure 1: BLM Public Domain Timber Offered for Sale by Type, Fiscal
Years 1990 through 2002:
Figure 2: Proportion of BLM Public Domain Timber Offerings by Type,
Fiscal Years 1990 and 2002:
Abbreviations:
BLM: Bureau of Land Management:
FLPMA: Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976:
United States General Accounting Office:
Washington, DC 20548:
June 19, 2003:
Congressional Requesters:
Currently, federally managed forests provide an estimated 7 percent of
the nation's domestically produced timber and wood products while
serving several other functions, such as providing habitat for over a
third of all threatened and endangered species, serving as the nation's
single largest source of water, and providing increasingly popular
recreational destinations. For several decades, debate over how to
balance timber sales with resource protection and recreational use on
federally managed lands has been at the heart of controversy
surrounding federal forest land management. While the Forest Service
manages most federal forest lands, the Department of the Interior's
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) also manages some of these federal
forests--encompassing about 53 million acres--located primarily in 12
western states, under its public domain forestry management program.
BLM refers to lands under this program as public domain lands.
In relation to BLM's offerings of timber for sale under its public
domain forestry management program, you asked us to determine (1) the
statutory framework for BLM timber sales, (2) the trend in BLM timber
volume offered for sale, and (3) factors contributing to any observed
trends. To meet these objectives, we reviewed laws, regulations, and
policy documents governing BLM's timber sales; obtained and reviewed
information on the volumes and composition of timber offered for sale
from BLM's annual statistical report and its timber sale information
system; and met with BLM headquarters officials and contacted several
BLM state and field offices to identify the factors and their
importance.
Results in Brief:
BLM's timber sales under its public domain forestry management program
are governed by a statutory framework that consists of a land
management statute and other environmental laws. The Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976--the principal law under which BLM
manages its public domain forestry management program--requires BLM to
manage its public lands in accordance with the principles of multiple
use and sustained yield, that is, at levels that can be achieved and
maintained in perpetuity. The act gives BLM broad management discretion
over how it emphasizes one use in relation to another. BLM's timber
sales on public domain lands must also comply with the requirements of
other environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy
Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Water Act.
The total volume of timber offered for sale from BLM's public domain
lands has declined from 101 million board feet of timber in fiscal year
1990 to 26 million board feet in 2002.[Footnote 1] BLM's offerings
consist of two components--sawtimber (trees or logs suitable for
conversion into lumber) and other wood products (small logs used to
make firewood, posts, and poles). The volume of each component also
declined in the same time period. Sawtimber declined from 80 million
board feet to 14 million board feet and other wood products declined
from 21 million board feet to 11 million board feet. Consequently, in
2002 the proportion of sawtimber in the total volume offered for sale
was less than it was in 1990.
A shift in program emphasis from timber production to enhancing forest
ecosystem health that took place in the late 1980s was the principal
factor contributing to the decline in BLM's timber volume offered for
sale. Federal officials made the shift in order to (1) provide more
protection for nontimber resources such as recreation, water quality,
and species habitat, which timber harvesting can adversely affect and
(2) focus forest management on the removal of smaller trees and brush
to reduce the risks of insects, disease, and wildfire. According to BLM
officials, responding to these needs has resulted in timber production
becoming a by-product, rather than a focus, of BLM's management of its
lands.
In responding to a draft of this report, the department pointed out
that the report achieved its three objectives. The department also said
that BLM has begun to act on some of the findings in the draft report,
including recruiting new foresters, in part to support the National
Fire Plan. Furthermore, the department said that the President's fiscal
year 2004 budget proposes a $1 million increase in funding for the
public domain forests and woodlands management program. The increased
funding, according to the department, will be used to improve
utilization of small-diameter wood materials, improve forest health,
and provide entrepreneurial opportunities in the wood product industry.
Background:
BLM, within the Department of the Interior, and the Forest Service,
within the Department of Agriculture, are the two primary federal
agencies involved with timber sales. In terms of acreage, the Forest
Service manages over 192 million acres of national forest system land.
In contrast, BLM manages about 261 million acres of public lands, of
which about 55 million acres are forests and woodlands. BLM administers
two forestry programs: one on public domain lands and one in western
Oregon.[Footnote 2] BLM's public domain forestry management program
covers 53 million acres--about 9 million acres of forests and about
44 million acres of woodlands.[Footnote 3] Appendix I provides a
detailed listing of forest and woodland acreage administered under
BLM's public domain forestry management program.
BLM's forests and woodlands on public domain lands are primarily in
12 western states. Much of these lands tend to be in small, isolated
parcels that are not as productive as BLM's western Oregon lands or the
larger forests managed by the Forest Service. BLM manages its public
domain lands through a multilevel organization--national office, 12
state offices, and about 130 field offices--that carries out a variety
of agency programs and activities including recreation and fish and
wildlife protection, in addition to timber.
BLM's public domain forestry management program received a small
portion of the agency's $1.8 billion annual budget for fiscal year
2002. The Congress appropriated about $6.2 million for the public
domain forestry management program in fiscal year 2002.[Footnote 4]
Timber offered for sale on public domain lands includes sawtimber and
other wood products. Sales of sawtimber and some other wood products
are initiated by soliciting bids from prospective buyers. In addition,
BLM offers other wood products to the public through a permit process.
Federal Land Policy and Management Act and Other Environmental Laws
Provide the Statutory Framework for BLM Timber Sales:
BLM manages its public domain forestry management program within a
statutory framework consisting of a land management statute and various
other environmental laws. The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976 (FLPMA)--the principal law under which BLM manages its public
domain forestry management program--requires BLM to manage its public
lands under the principles of multiple use and sustained
yield.[Footnote 5] FLPMA gives BLM broad management discretion over how
it emphasizes one use, such as offering timber for sale, in relation to
another, such as providing recreation. Among other things, multiple use
management aims at a combination of balanced and diverse resource uses
that take into account the long-term needs of future generations for
renewable resources (for example, timber) and nonrenewable resources
(for example, minerals). FLPMA states that BLM should consider fish and
wildlife; recreation; minerals; range; ecological preservation;
timber; watershed; natural scenic, scientific, and historical values;
and other resources, as it balances public land uses. Under the
principle of sustained yield, BLM seeks to achieve and maintain high
output levels of all renewable resources in perpetuity. Under FLPMA,
BLM has broad discretion in managing its timber sales. During its land
use planning process, BLM identifies areas that are available and have
the capacity for planned, sustained-yield harvest of timber or other
forest products.
BLM timber sales on public domain lands must also comply with the
requirements of other environmental laws, including the National
Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean
Water Act. For major federal actions that may significantly affect the
quality of the human environment, the National Environmental Policy Act
requires all federal agencies, including BLM, to analyze the potential
environmental effects of a proposed project, such as a timber sale.
Regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act require
agencies to include a discussion of how to mitigate adverse impacts and
a discussion of those impacts that cannot be avoided under the federal
action. Under the Endangered Species Act, BLM must ensure that its
actions are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of species
listed as threatened or endangered or to destroy or adversely modify
habitat critical to their survival. Similarly, the requirement to meet
standards for water quality under the Clean Water Act may limit the
timing, location, and volume of timber sales.
The Volume and Composition of BLM Timber Sale Offerings from Public
Domain Lands Have Changed Significantly Since 1990:
BLM's annual volume of timber offered for sale from public domain lands
declined 74 percent from 101 million board feet of timber in fiscal
year 1990 to 26 million board feet in 2002. Over the same period, the
volume of the two components of BLM offerings--sawtimber and other wood
products--also declined: sawtimber from 80 million to 14 million board
feet (81 percent) and other wood products from 21 million to 11 million
board feet (46 percent). See figure 1.
Figure 1: BLM Public Domain Timber Offered for Sale by Type, Fiscal
Years 1990 through 2002:
[See PDF for image]
Note: BLM could not provide volume data for other wood products for
fiscal years 1994 through 1996.
[End of figure]
Appendix II includes more detailed information on the volume of BLM
public domain timber offered for sale from fiscal year 1990 through
2002.
Mirroring the overall national decline, each BLM state office
experienced declines in the volume of timber offered for sale from
fiscal year 1990 through 2002. Eastern Oregon experienced the sharpest
decline--from 56 million to 8 million board feet--representing nearly
two-thirds of the overall decline. A BLM official explained that
eastern Oregon offered an abnormally high volume of timber for sale in
fiscal years 1990 and 1991, primarily due to a large salvage logging
effort following a mountain pine beetle epidemic. For perspective, from
fiscal years 1985 through 1989, eastern Oregon offered an average of
22 million board feet of timber per year. Appendix III shows the volume
of timber that each BLM state office offered for sale in 1990 and in
2002 and the amount of decline.
As a consequence of the decline in the volume of timber offered for
sale during fiscal years 1990 through 2002, the proportion of the
volume's two components also changed. As shown in figure 2, sawtimber
represented over three-quarters of the total volume in fiscal year
1990, but had decreased to slightly more than one-half of the total
volume by fiscal year 2002. In contrast, the proportion of other wood
products increased from about one-fifth of the total volume in 1990 to
about one-half of the total volume in fiscal year 2002.
Figure 2: Proportion of BLM Public Domain Timber Offerings by Type,
Fiscal Years 1990 and 2002:
[See PDF for image]
[End of figure]
Shift in Program Emphasis Was the Primary Cause of the Decline in
Timber Offered for Sale:
Beginning in the late 1980s, the program emphasis on BLM public domain
lands, like that on most other federal forests, increasingly shifted
from timber production to emphasizing forest ecosystem health.[Footnote
6] This shift in emphasis, required by changing forest conditions and
needs, helped cause a reduction in the volume of timber removed from
all federal lands, including BLM public domain lands. As a result of
this decline in supply volume, some sawmills that formerly processed
BLM timber have closed, making it more difficult for BLM to market
timber in some areas. In addition, the emphasis on forest ecosystem
health has increased some of the costs associated with timber sales
preparation, as staff must now prepare more extensive analysis of the
effects of the timber harvest on other resources. Faced with generally
declining funding levels and fewer foresters to prepare timber sales,
and subsequently fewer sales, BLM's volume of timber offered for sale
from its public domain lands declined.
Shift in Program Emphasis to Forest Ecosystem Health Has Contributed
to Reduced Timber Sale Offerings:
The 74 percent decline in the volume of timber sale offerings from BLM
public domain lands since 1990, according to BLM officials, was
primarily due to the shift in program emphasis to forest ecosystem
health. We previously reported that this shift in emphasis caused large
declines in timber production from all federal forests.[Footnote 7]
BLM's decline mirrored a similar decline in offerings from the 155
national forests. For example, between 1990 and 1997 the volume of
timber offered for sale from the national forests managed by the Forest
Service declined about 65 percent, from 11 billion to 4 billion board
feet.
Since the late 1980s, growing concerns over declining ecological
conditions on federal lands--such as poor animal habitat and water
quality--resulted in federal agencies adopting a new, more
scientifically based management approach, referred to then as ecosystem
management. BLM officially adopted this approach to implementing its
land management responsibilities in 1994 to sustain resource usage in
an ecosystem--including timber production--while maintaining, and
restoring where damaged, the natural functioning of interdependent
communities of plants and animals and their physical environment (soil,
water, air).[Footnote 8] In revising forest management policy for
public domain lands, BLM increased its emphasis on managing for forest
ecosystem conditions, in addition to providing for sustained yield of
its forests and woodlands. This new policy recognized the role that
insects, disease, fire, and other disturbance mechanisms, as well as
noncommercial plant species, play in ecosystems.
The reduction in the volume of timber offered for sale also resulted
from environmental statutes and their judicial interpretations arising
from lawsuits brought by environmental and recreational organizations.
In order to increase protection of wildlife habitat, recreation, and
stream quality, the volume of timber offered for sale was reduced for
the following reasons: (1) some forest areas where timber sales had
been planned could not be used for this purpose; (2) in some areas
where trees could be harvested, fewer trees could be removed because of
limitations on clear-cutting; and (3) in some cases, BLM would not
offer timber for sale where the removal costs were too expensive for
buyers.
BLM officials cited several instances where an increased emphasis on
providing greater protection to forest ecosystem resources from the
adverse effects of timber harvesting had resulted in reductions of
timber offerings on BLM public domain lands since 1990. For example, an
official in the BLM Idaho state office noted that harvesting timber by
clear-cutting is no longer performed in many locations. Likewise,
concerns about potential harm to the habitat of threatened or
endangered species, such as lynx and bull trout, led to a reduced
volume of timber offered for sale. In addition, some current harvesting
methods cost more and result in less volume, but potentially cause less
harm to the species and its habitat. BLM officials told us that in
eastern Oregon they offered sales in areas where there were fewer
concerns about the harm to habitat in order to reduce the probability
of public challenge. Additionally, BLM officials in Idaho and Oregon
told us that the need to sometimes use helicopters to remove harvested
trees, in order to protect other resources from effects that would
result, for example, from constructing roads to access and remove
timber, drove up costs and further reduced the amount of timber they
could offer for sale.
In the 1990s, growing concerns about changes in forest structure and
composition, and the long-term threats that these changes posed to
forest ecosystem health, further contributed to the declines in the
volume of timber offered for sale from federal forests, including from
BLM public domain lands. The principal change in forest structure that
was of concern was the increasing density of tree stands in forests,
especially of smaller trees and brush. Among the changes in forest
composition of most concern was a reduction in the diversity of tree
species. Both types of change stemmed largely from decades of
previously accepted forest management practices, such as the exclusion
of naturally occurring periodic fires that removed smaller trees and
undergrowth; replacement, after clear-cutting, of mixed native species
with a single species; and a failure to carry out planned thinning of
forests.
Overly dense, less diverse forests can lead to increasingly widespread
insect and disease infestations and greatly increase the risk of
catastrophic wildfires. Such wildfires can severely damage tree stands,
wildlife habitat, water quality, and soils, and threaten human health,
lives, property, and infrastructure in nearby communities. According to
BLM, the need to reduce forest density and restore composition
diversity in forest ecosystems has necessitated a refocusing of federal
forest management activities, including timber sale offerings, on the
removal of smaller trees and materials that generate less volume than
the larger trees more commonly offered for sale in prior years.
BLM program management officials stated that the need to restore the
structure and composition of forests is currently the primary reason
that the timber removed from public domain lands will have to continue
to be more heavily weighted towards nonsawtimber and small-diameter
trees. In many cases, the materials that need to be removed have little
or no commercial value, and thus do not affect the overall volume of
timber offered for sale. For example, a BLM official in a Colorado
field office told us that any increase in funding would first
concentrate on a backlog of areas that were overstocked following
harvests several years ago, but were never thinned of small trees that
had no commercial value.
BLM officials could not quantify the effect of the shift to forest
ecosystem health on the overall decline in the volume of timber sale
offerings since 1990. They noted, however, that the shift had resulted
in timber becoming largely a by-product, rather than a focus, of the
public domain forestry management program.
Shift in Program Emphasis Has Led to Mill Closures, BLM Staffing
Changes, and Insufficient Inventory Data During a Period of Declining
Budgets:
The decline in the volume of timber sale offerings from federal forests
as a result of the shift in emphasis to forest ecosystem health has
resulted in a reduced supply of materials for sawmills in many areas.
According to two reports[Footnote 9] principally authored by The
University of Montana's Bureau of Business and Economic Research and
the Forest Service, the volume of timber from national forests received
by mills in Idaho and Montana declined in the 1990s. For example, in
Idaho, the volume declined from about 729 million board feet in 1990 to
301 million board feet in 1995, representing a decline of 59 percent.
In Montana, the volume declined from about 318 million board feet in
1993 to 215 million board feet in 1998, representing a decline of
32 percent. According to these reports, the reduced mill capacity in
these states was due primarily to the decline in timber availability
from national forests. Furthermore, these reports indicated that the
decline in timber volume from the national forests was a contributing
factor to the closure of at least 30 sawmills in these two states.
Other factors mentioned by these reports as contributing to
sawmill closures included fluctuations in lumber prices, changes in the
volume of exports and imports of lumber, and changes in the structure
of the industry.
According to BLM officials, the primary reason for sawmill closures was
the decline in the supply of timber from the larger, more productive
Forest Service lands near BLM lands. However, they noted that
purchasers of timber from BLM public domain lands also used these
mills. For example, officials in some field offices in Colorado and
Idaho said several nearby mills had closed, leading purchasers to
transport timber to more distant mills for processing. As a result, the
officials noted that the purchasers of timber from these offices have
experienced higher transportation costs, thereby reducing the
attractiveness of purchasing timber from BLM public domain lands. The
officials told us that because of the relatively small volume of timber
offered for sale from BLM public domain lands, a return to previous BLM
sale offering levels would not result in sufficient supply for the
mills to reopen.
The shift in emphasis has also contributed to a need for more extensive
analysis and the hiring of more resource protection specialists during
the time that BLM's funding for its public domain forestry management
program was generally declining. Consequently, less volume of timber
was offered because it takes longer and costs more to prepare a given
volume of timber for sale. According to officials, over the past
decade, BLM has hired more resource protection specialists, such as
wildlife biologists, botanists, and hydrologists, in order to better
analyze the effects of potential timber sales on other resources, such
as wildlife habitat. At the same time, many foresters, who are the
primary staff involved in identifying and preparing timber sales, have
departed the agency either through retirement or other means in recent
years and have not been replaced. For example, the number of BLM
foresters decreased from 72 to 53 between fiscal year 1991 and fiscal
year 2002. We were told that at some field units there are no foresters
remaining that have the skills needed to prepare timber sales.
Furthermore, using constant 2002 dollars, BLM's appropriations for the
public domain forestry management program declined from $8.5 million in
fiscal year 1990 to $6.2 million in 2002. Thus, the higher preparation
costs and smaller budgets have left BLM less able to prepare timber
sales. According to BLM, it has begun recruiting new foresters and has
requested an increase of $1 million in funding in fiscal year 2004 for
the public domain forestry management program.
In addition, BLM officials told us that for the past few years the
agency has not had the funding to develop better inventory information
about forests and woodlands in order to adequately assess the effects
of timber sales on the forest ecosystem. For example, they do not have
current information on the condition of forests and woodlands, such as
tree density, species composition, and the extent of forests and
woodlands affected by insects and disease--information needed to
identify potential timber sale offerings. According to the officials,
some timber sales cannot be prepared because BLM does not have credible
inventory data needed to justify trade-offs between timber harvesting
and other concerns, such as impacts on animal species habitat. Agency
officials said that the lack of knowledge of its inventory has been a
long-standing problem.
Agency Comments and Our Evaluation:
We provided a draft of this report to the Department of the Interior
for review and comment. The department pointed out that the report
achieved its three objectives and that we had incorporated information
based on informal discussions with staff. The department said that BLM
has begun to act on some of the findings in the draft report, including
recruiting new foresters, in part to support the National Fire Plan.
According to the department, these foresters will help ensure that
forest health considerations, such as species composition, stand
structure, and insect or disease occurrence, are fully considered, in
addition to hazardous fuel reduction. BLM state directors have
submitted detailed action plans to meet state-specific needs for
renewed emphasis on forests and woodlands management. Furthermore, the
department said that the President's fiscal year 2004 budget proposes a
$1 million increase in funding for the public domain forests and
woodlands management program. The increased funding, according to the
department, will be used to improve utilization of small-diameter wood
materials, improve forest health, and provide entrepreneurial
opportunities in the wood product industry. We included information in
the report regarding BLM's recruiting efforts and its request for
additional funding.
The department also made technical clarifications, which we
incorporated as appropriate. The department's comments are reprinted in
appendix IV.
Scope and Methodology:
To determine the legal framework for BLM timber sales on public domain
lands, we reviewed laws and regulations governing BLM's timber sales
activities. We also reviewed policy documents issued by headquarters
and, if available, supplemental guidance issued by state and field
locations as it relates to timber sales activities.
To determine the trend in the volume of timber that BLM offered for
sale from public domain lands, we obtained BLM information on the
volumes and composition--sawtimber, firewood, posts, poles, and other
wood products--of timber offered for sale by state office for fiscal
years 1990 through 2002. We reviewed information contained in BLM's
Timber Sale Information System and its annual publication, Public Land
Statistics.
To determine what factors contributed to the trend in the volume of
timber offered for sale from public domain lands from 1990 to 2002, we
met with BLM headquarters officials and visited or contacted officials
at 9 of the 12 BLM state offices and six field offices--two each in the
states of Colorado, Idaho, and Montana. We discussed with these
officials how their respective offices established timber sale goals,
allocated forestry program funding, and monitored accomplishment of
planned timber sales. We also discussed with these officials BLM's
management emphasis on improving forest health, and the trends in (1)
market conditions for timber and other wood products and (2) BLM
funding and staffing. In addition, we reviewed BLM's budget
justifications, strategic and annual plans and reports, land use plans,
and other materials related to BLM's timber sales activities. To gain
further perspective on the market conditions of the timber industry, we
interviewed officials and reviewed timber industry research
publications from The University of Montana. Finally, to gain a more
detailed understanding of timber sales activities on public domain
lands, we met with officials in three BLM state offices--Colorado,
Idaho, and Montana--and visited several BLM timber sale projects that
were ongoing or had been completed recently.
We conducted our review from May 2002 through May 2003 in accordance
with generally accepted government auditing standards.
We will send copies of this report to the Secretary of the Interior;
the Director of the Bureau of Land Management; the Director, Office of
Management and Budget; and other interested parties. We will also make
copies available to others upon request. In addition, the report will
be available at no charge on the GAO Web site at http://www.gao.gov. If
you or your staff have any questions, please call me at (202) 512-3841.
Key contributors to this report are listed in appendix V.
Barry T. Hill
Director,
Natural Resources and Environment:
List of Requesters:
The Honorable Larry Craig:
Chairman Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources United States Senate:
The Honorable Scott McInnis Chairman Subcommittee on Forests and Forest
Health Committee on Resources House of Representatives:
The Honorable George Radanovich Chairman Subcommittee on National
Parks, Recreation and Public Lands Committee on Resources House of
Representatives:
The Honorable Michael Crapo United States Senate:
The Honorable Gordon Smith United States Senate:
[End of section]
Appendix I: Public Domain Forest and Woodland Acres by BLM State Office:
Table 1 shows the number of acres of forests and woodlands and their
total for each BLM state office.
Table 1: Public Domain Forest and Woodland Acres by BLM State Office:
Acres in thousands.
Alaska[A]; Forests: 5,297; Woodlands: 22,982; Total: 28,279.
Arizona; Forests: 20; Woodlands: 1,054; Total: 1,074.
California; Forests: 204; Woodlands: 2,004; Total: 2,208.
Colorado; Forests: 1,069; Woodlands: 3,041; Total: 4,110.
Eastern States; Forests: 0; Woodlands: 30; Total: 30.
Idaho; Forests: 512; Woodlands: 380; Total: 892.
Montana; Forests: 783; Woodlands: 27; Total: 810.
Nevada; Forests: 5; Woodlands: 6,269; Total: 6,274.
New Mexico; Forests: 44; Woodlands: 941; Total: 985.
Oregon (excludes western Oregon); Forests: 194; Woodlands: 847; Total:
1,041.
Utah; Forests: 338; Woodlands: 5,735; Total: 6,073.
Wyoming; Forests: 474; Woodlands: 530; Total: 1,004.
Total; Forests: 8,940; Woodlands: 43,840; Total: 52,780.
Source: BLM.
[A] According to BLM, much of the land in Alaska is inaccessible or too
far from established markets to make timber harvesting feasible.
[End of table]
[End of section]
Appendix II: Volume of Timber Offered for Sale from BLM Public Domain
Forests and Woodlands, Fiscal Years 1990 through 2002:
Table 2 identifies the volume, in board feet, of sawtimber, cords,
posts, poles, and other wood products offered for sale from public
domain lands from fiscal years 1990 through 2002.
Table 2: Annual Volume of Timber Offered for Sale from BLM Public
Domain Forests and Woodlands, Fiscal Years 1990 through 2002:
Board feet in thousands:
Fiscal Year: 1990[C]; Sawtimber: 80,116; Other wood products:
Cords[A]: 19,227; Other wood products: Posts:
1,733; Other wood products: Poles: 254; Other wood products: Other[B]:
14; Other wood products: Subtotal: 21,228; Total timber volume
offered: 101,344.
Fiscal Year: 1991; Sawtimber: 86,395; Other wood products:
Cords[A]: 18,941; Other wood products: Posts:
465; Other wood products: Poles: 615; Other wood products: Other[B]:
7; Other wood products: Subtotal: 20,028; Total timber volume
offered: 106,423.
Fiscal Year: 1992; Sawtimber: 59,161; Other wood products:
Cords[A]: 16,691; Other wood products: Posts:
457; Other wood products: Poles: 1,756; Other wood products: Other[B]:
234; Other wood products: Subtotal: 19,138; Total timber volume
offered: 78,299.
Fiscal Year: 1993; Sawtimber: 28,150; Other wood products:
Cords[A]: 18,351; Other wood products: Posts:
571; Other wood products: Poles: 566; Other wood products: Other[B]:
14; Other wood products: Subtotal: 19,502; Total timber volume
offered: 47,652.
Fiscal Year: 1994[D]; Sawtimber: 13,672; Other wood products:
Cords[A]: d; Other wood products: Posts: d;
Other wood products: Poles: d; Other wood products: Other[B]: [D];
Other wood products: Subtotal: [D];
Total timber volume offered: [D].
Fiscal Year: 1995[D]; Sawtimber: 61,128; Other wood products:
Cords[A]: [D]; Other wood products: Posts: [D];
Other wood products: Poles: [D]; Other wood products: Other[B]: [D];
Other wood products: Subtotal: [D];
Total timber volume offered: [D].
Fiscal Year: 1996[D]; Sawtimber: 25,168; Other wood products:
Cords[A]: [D]; Other wood products: Posts: [D];
Other wood products: Poles: [D]; Other wood products: Other[B]: [D];
Other wood products: Subtotal: [D];
Total timber volume offered: [D].
Fiscal Year: 1997; Sawtimber: 21,148; Other wood products:
Cords[A]: 10,502; Other wood products: Posts:
335; Other wood products: Poles: 2,776; Other wood products: Other[B]:
471; Other wood products: Subtotal: 14,084; Total timber volume
offered: 35,232.
Fiscal Year: 1998[E]; Sawtimber: 15,635; Other wood products:
Cords[A]: 12,353; Other wood products: Posts:
388; Other wood products: Poles: 1,807; Other wood products: Other[B]:
78; Other wood products: Subtotal: 14,626; Total timber volume
offered: 30,261.
Fiscal Year: 1999[F,G]; Sawtimber: 12,523; Other wood products:
Cords[A]: 7,804; Other wood products: Posts:
468; Other wood products: Poles: 483; Other wood products: Other[B]:
95; Other wood products: Subtotal: 8,850; Total timber volume
offered: 21,373.
Fiscal Year: 2000[F]; Sawtimber: 12,327; Other wood products:
Cords[A]: 8,584; Other wood products: Posts:
454; Other wood products: Poles: 207; Other wood products: Other[B]:
585; Other wood products: Subtotal: 9,830; Total timber volume
offered: 22,157.
Fiscal Year: 2001[F]; Sawtimber: 17,233; Other wood products:
Cords[A]: 8,609; Other wood products: Posts:
683; Other wood products: Poles: 130; Other wood products: Other[B]:
65; Other wood products: Subtotal: 9,487; Total timber volume
offered: 26,720.
Fiscal Year: 2002[F]; Sawtimber: 14,427; Other wood products:
Cords[A]: 10,463; Other wood products: Posts:
679; Other wood products: Poles: 303; Other wood products: Other[B]:
27; Other wood products: Subtotal: 11,472; Total timber volume
offered: 25,899.
Source: BLM.
[A] Data for cords were rounded for reporting purposes.
[B] "Other" includes miscellaneous wood products such as pulpwood,
marginal logs, houselogs, fence stays, and hobby wood.
[C] Timber volume offered for sale was not available for the Alaska
State Office for fiscal year 1990.
[D] BLM was unable to provide information on the volumes of other wood
products for fiscal years 1994 through 1996. BLM's publication Public
Land Statistics or its Timber Sale Information System database did not
include such information.
[E] Data for fiscal year 1998 were originally recorded in hundreds of
cubic feet. We converted cubic feet data to thousands of board feet
using a conversion factor of 1.63 as suggested by BLM. However,
according to BLM, the cubic feet to board feet conversion is not
standardized and may be different for different sizes of logs or types
of products.
[F] In fiscal years 1999 through 2002, sawtimber was originally
recorded in thousands of board feet, but other wood products were
originally recorded in hundreds of cubic feet. We converted cubic feet
data to thousands of board feet using a conversion factor of 1.63 as
suggested by BLM. However, according to BLM, the cubic feet to board
feet conversion is not standardized and may be different for different
sizes of logs or types of products.
[G] Data for fiscal year 1999 do not include small sales, which were
included in all other years.
[End of table]
[End of section]
Appendix III: Volume of Timber Offered for Sale from Public Domain
Lands by BLM State Office, Fiscal Years 1990 and 2002:
Table 3 shows the volume, in board feet, of timber offered for sale in
fiscal years 1990 and 2002, and their differences in volume, by BLM
state office.
Table 3: Volume of Timber Offered for Sale from Public Domain Lands by
BLM State Office, Fiscal Years 1990 and 2002:
Board feet in millions.
Alaska; Fiscal year 1990: Unavailable; Fiscal year 2002: 0.35;
Difference: --.
Arizona; Fiscal year 1990: 0.91; Fiscal year 2002: 0.21; Difference:
(0.70).
California; Fiscal year 1990: 5.35; Fiscal year 2002: 2.22; Difference:
(3.13).
Colorado; Fiscal year 1990: 3.96; Fiscal year 2002: 1.19; Difference:
(2.77).
Idaho; Fiscal year 1990: 12.96; Fiscal year 2002: 3.98; Difference:
(8.98).
Montana; Fiscal year 1990: 7.31; Fiscal year 2002: 3.07; Difference:
(4.24).
Nevada; Fiscal year 1990: 3.25; Fiscal year 2002: 2.91; Difference:
(0.34).
New Mexico; Fiscal year 1990: 2.63; Fiscal year 2002: 1.49; Difference:
(1.14).
Oregon (excludes western Oregon); Fiscal year 1990: 55.82; Fiscal year
2002: 7.66; Difference: (48.16).
Utah; Fiscal year 1990: 5.45; Fiscal year 2002: 1.96; Difference:
(3.49).
Wyoming; Fiscal year 1990: 3.71; Fiscal year 2002: 0.86; Difference:
(2.85).
Total; Fiscal year 1990: 101.35[A]; Fiscal year 2002: 25.90;
Difference: (75.80)[A].
Source: BLM.
Note: BLM's Eastern States Office offered no timber for sale in fiscal
years 1990 through 2002.
[A] Excludes Alaska.
[End of table]
[End of section]
Appendix IV: Comments from the Department of the Interior:
Note: GAO comments supplementing those in the report text appear at the
end of this appendix.
See comment 2.
See comment 1.
See comment 6.
See comment 5.
See comment 4.
See comment 3.
United States Department of the Interior:
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Washington, D.C. 20240:
JUN 5 2003:
Mr. Barry T. Hill:
Director, Natural Resources and Environment U.S. General Accounting
Office:
441 G Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20548:
Dear Mr. Hill:
Thank you for the opportunity to review the May 12, 2003, draft report
to congressional requesters entitled "Bureau of Land Management: Volume
of Timber Offered for Sale Has Declined Substantially Since 1990" (GAO-
03-615). The work was performed under job code 360209.
The report achieves its objectives of determining the statutory
framework for public domain timber sales, the trend in timber volume
offered for sale from public domain land managed by the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), and factors contributing to the trend.
The BLM staff met with General Accounting Office (GAO) analysts to
discuss the statement of facts, which is the basis of this draft
report. Much of the BLM's feedback has been incorporated into the draft
report. In addition, I would like to provide more information and
clarification.
The title of the report should be changed to recognize that the report
deals with only the BLM forests and woodlands management program on
public domain.land. The findings are not related to the BLM's forest
management program on the more than 2 million acres of forests on
Oregon and California grant lands in western Oregon.
The 44 million acres of public domain woodlands pose unique management
challenges for the BLM. Woodlands are areas covered with tree species
that in general have little or no commercial value. As such, they were
never included in land use plans as areas considered for any type of
sustained yield harvest. Some woodlands contain species, such as aspen
or oak, that provide critical wildlife habitat. Other woodlands, such
as areas dominated by closed canopy pinyon and juniper, can be
detrimental to wildlife habitat by shading the understory vegetation
resulting in a loss of soil and plant diversity. Such stands also
contribute to an increased risk of crown fires. Managing public domain
woodlands for land health, along with the 9 million acres of forests,
is critical to the BLM's providing healthy landscapes now and in the
future. This distinction is noted in the BLM's use of the term "forests
and woodlands management" program.
The last paragraph on page 3 of GAO's draft report states that BLM
management of forests and woodlands resources has resulted in timber
becoming a by-product rather than the focus of BLM's management of its
land. The BLM's 9 million acres of forest land represent the total
public domain area that supports commercial tree species, such as
ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, Douglas fir, and larch. The BLM does
not agree with GAO's statement on page 6 that mitigation is not
required for adverse impacts resulting from operations on these lands.
Best management practices and associated project design features, such
as designation of riparian habitat and restrictions on operations on
fragile slopes, are standard practice and reduce the available public
domain land for forestry. When combined with other environmental
restrictions noted in the draft report, the base for timber operations
is reduced more. The lack of a current inventory of timber resources is
exacerbated by a general de-emphasis on land use planning starting in
the early 1990s. These facts, when combined with increased management
emphasis on forest health, have resulted in less emphasis on timber
harvest for commodity values. However, BLM foresters seek to capture
the economic value of all forest operations, whenever practicality and
staff allow.
The BLM has already begun to take action on some of the findings in
this draft report. The BLM is recruiting new foresters, in part, to
support the National Fire Plan. Filling new forester positions will
help to ensure that forest health considerations, such as species
composition, stand structure, and insect or disease occurrences, are
fully considered in addition to hazardous fuel reduction. All BLM State
Directors have submitted detailed action plans to meet State-specific
needs for renewed emphasis on forests and woodlands management. The
President's fiscal year 2004 budget proposes a $1 million increase in
funding for the public domain forests and woodlands management program.
This increase in funding will be used to improve utilization of small
diameter wood materials, improve forest health, and provide
entrepreneurial opportunities in the wood products industry.
Within the section titled "Shift in Program Emphasis Has Led to Mill
Closures, BLM Staffing Changes, and Insufficient Inventory Data," GAO
noted ". . . using constant 2002 dollars, (the) BLM's appropriations
for the public domain forestry management program declined from $8.5
million in fiscal year 1990 to $6.2 million in (fiscal year) 2002." It
is important to reinforce that the volume of timber from public domain
land offered for sale and the BLM budget for managing public domain
forestry both declined significantly since 1990. This important finding
deserves to be highlighted in a section headed "BLM Budget for Forests
and Woodlands Management Declined Significantly Since 1990.":
Impacts on the industry are related to total volume of timber offered.
It is worth putting into context that the amount of timber offered for
sale from public domain land managed by the BLM is small compared to
the timber offered for sale by the Forest Service or State and private
landowners. As the GAO noted, the Forest Service offered 11 billion
board feet of timber for sale from national forests in 1990. By
comparison, the BLM offered only:
80 million board feet of timber from public domain forests in 1990.
If you have any questions, please contact Michael J. Haske, Acting
Group Manager, Forests and Woodlands Management, at 202-452-0312 or
Andrea Nygren, BLM Audit Liaison Officer, at 202-452-5153.
Sincerely,
Rebecca W. Watson
Assistant Secretary
Land and Minerals Management:
Signed by Rebecca W. Watson:
cc: Roy Judy, General Accounting Office:
The following are GAO comments on the Department of the Interior's
letter dated June 5, 2003.
GAO's Comments:
1. We changed the title to be more specific to public domain lands.
2. In accordance with our job objectives, our report addresses the
trend in the volume of timber offered for sale from both public domain
forests and woodlands. Furthermore, the report notes that woodlands
typically have significantly lower productivity than forests.
3. We deleted reference to the federal regulations generally not
requiring mitigation of adverse impacts resulting from operations on
public domain lands. We added information to clarify that the federal
regulations referred to in the draft report were those that implement
the National Environmental Policy Act. The department agreed with this
clarification.
4. We agree that the change of emphasis has affected the volume of
timber offered for sale, which is already clearly articulated in the
report.
5. We agree that both the budget and the volume of timber offered for
sale have declined significantly. We have included a reference to the
budgetary decline in a section heading.
6. We agree that the volume of timber offered for sale from BLM's
public domain lands is small compared to offerings from Forest Service
or state or private land. As the report indicates, the Forest Service
offered 4 billion board feet of timber for sale from national forests
in 1997, while BLM offered 35 million board feet--21 million board feet
of sawtimber and 14 million board feet of other wood products--from
public domain lands. Also, the report points out that about 7 percent
of the nation's domestically produced timber and wood products come
from federally managed forests, which include BLM and Forest Service
forests. Therefore, the remaining 93 percent is from nonfederal lands,
which include state and private lands.
[End of section]
Appendix V: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments:
GAO Contacts:
Barry T. Hill (202) 512-3841 (hillbt@gao.gov):
Staff Acknowledgments:
In addition to the above, Andrew S. Bauck, Linda L. Harmon, Richard P.
Johnson, Chester M. Joy, Roy K. Judy, Rosellen McCarthy, Jonathan S.
McMurray, Paul E. Staley, and Amy E. Webbink made key contributions to
this report.
FOOTNOTES
[1] A board foot is a measure of timber volume equal to a board one
inch thick and one foot in both length and width.
[2] BLM's program for forests and woodlands in western Oregon covers
about 2.4 million acres that are highly productive.
[3] BLM defines forests as those lands dominated by tree species that
are typically used commercially by the forest products industry, and
woodlands as those lands dominated by other tree species. Woodlands
typically have significantly lower productivity than forests.
[4] The appropriation included an additional $1.4 million for the
Headwaters Forest Reserve in California. According to BLM, this amount
was not available for the public domain forestry management program.
[5] 43 U.S.C. §§ 1701(a)(7), 1732(a).
[6] Several terms have been used when referring to this program
emphasis and its various dimensions, including "ecosystem management,"
"forest health," "land health," and "forest ecosystem health." These
terms (1) all generally refer to approaches for managing timber and
other resources in relation to one another or desired overall
conditions of forest ecosystems, (2) have no generally accepted
definitions, and (3) are sometimes, but not always, used
interchangeably. In this report we have used the term "forest ecosystem
health" because, in our view, it broadly reflects important dimensions
of the shift in program emphasis discussed and it encompasses both the
program objective (forest health) and the management approach used to
achieve it (ecosystem management).
[7] Forest Service Priorities: Evolving Mission Favors Resource
Protection Over Production, GAO/RCED-99-166 (Washington, D.C.: June 17,
1999).
[8] Ecosystem Management in the BLM: From Concept to Commitment
(Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, January 1994).
[9] Idaho's Forest Products Industry: A Descriptive Analysis 1979-1996
(The Bureau of Business and Economic Research, School of Business
Administration, The University of Montana, December 1997) and Montana's
Forest Products Industry: A descriptive analysis, 1969-2000 (The Bureau
of Business and Economic Research, School of Business Administration,
The University of Montana, September 2001).
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