Will your local NW/Cascadia/Canada birds have more bugs to eat if the
following comes to pass? (And, think about what's going to happen
to Russia's forests!)
Peter
- - - - - - -
From: Western Ancient Forest Campaign <wafcdc at igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: talk.environment
Subject: U.S. Signs MOU to Log Siberia
Date: Thu, 03 Aug 1995 19:07:22 -0700 (PDT)

U.S./RUSSIA SIGN M.O.U. TO EXPAND LOGGING IN SIBERIA

The "Wood and Pulp and Paper MOU" calls for $4 billion in
U.S.-Russian trade in wood, pulp and paper industry sectors over a
five year period. The MOU also calls for collaboration in ecosystem
protection and environmentally sustainable development. Without
adequate guidance, actions of these agencies could lead to significant
ecological damage to Russian forests and to the economic instability
of Russian communities. Tracking information on environmental
impacts of U.S.-backed forestry projects is difficult. Since many of
these programs involve financial arrangement with private
companies, U.S. agencies can conceal environmental data under
proprietary business information exemptions under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA). Still, these projects are required to report
back to respective federal agency, and much of this correspondance
may be subject to FOIA. More important, these programs are
publicly funded, and their policies are ultimately subject in influence
>from the Administration.

An example of agency support for timber companies is the
U.S based Global Forestry Management Group (GFMG). This
consortium of 10 timber companies seeks to gain "Political Risk
Insurance" from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC)
in a scheme to lease lands for logging an estimated 1,000,000 acre
tract of virgin fir and spruce forest in the mountainous terrain of
the Russian Far East. The Consortium plans to export unprocessed
logs to the Pacific Northwest. This proposal is raising concerns
among entomologists, ecologists and foresters about the likelihood of
a forest pest outbreak in the U.S. orginating from exotic pathogens
known to be living in the bark of the unprocessed Siberian logs.
Such an outbreak could be as or more devastating as was dutch elm
disease or chestnut blight, which severely damaged forest
ecosystems in the eastern U.S. earlier this century. According to
U.S. Office of Technology Assessment estimates, economic costs
>from a Siberian pest outbreak can be expected to be as high as #35-
38 billion. Hence, the ecological and economic risks of this federally
subsidized joint venture will be borne by Russian people and
American public, while the economic benefits will be concentrated
among a relatively few private timber interests.

OPIC and GFMG are developing an environmental impact
statement, which they have said they will not release when
completed. OPIC claims that the risk of pest outbreaks is not
within its scope of concern. OPIC also refuses to release
information about the extent and method of forestry practices under
consideration or their environmental consquences for sensitive forests
of Russian Far East, until after the project is approved. OPIC is
considering other even more extensive clearcutting operations.
Other examples of potential U.S. Government involvement in
Russian forest logging include OPIC financing of the Pioneer-
Siziman logging project along the coast of the Russian Far East, and
Department of Commernce support for the RAIES venture to
irradiate logs for export. With the development of the Russian
timber sector and the promotion of billions of dollars in timber trade
through the Wood and Pulp and Paper MOU, we can expect more
proposals for agency support of timber joint ventures.

The Pacific Environment and Resources Center (PERC) has
proposed a process of involvement by Russian and American NGO's
(environmentalists), forest scientists and others, to review proposed
projects, to identify elements of proposals harmful to forest
ecosystems and local communities, and to propose alternatives. A
better model of public participation such as found under the
National Environmental Policy Act needs to be established.
Agencies should insist on policies providing public disclosure on the
scope and methods of forestry under consideration, including full
documentation of potential environmental impacts, before projects
are approved. Forestry practices which are known to be ecologically
harmful and legally questionable on U.S. National Forests should
not recieve support from federal agencies. This would ensure the
U.S. does not export its forestry environmental problems abroad.
For more information about the U.S. involvement in Russian
logging, contact the Pacific Environment & Rescources Center, Fort
Cronkite, Building 1055, Sausalito, CA 94965, 415/332-8200, fax
415/332-8167.

From: Western Ancient Forest Campaign <wafcdc at igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: talk.environment
Subject: APHIS Rules on Log Imports Fall Short
Date: Thu, 03 Aug 1995 18:34:36 -0700 (PDT)

APHIS RULES ON LOG IMPORTS

The final APHIS Rules and Regulations on the Importation of
Logs, Lumber and other Unmanufactures Wood Articles were
published in the Federal Register May 25, 1995. There was one
significant change from the original regulations: logs and lumber
must be heated to 71.1oC for 75 minutes, instead of 56oC for 30
minutes as originally proposed. APHIS now admits that this lower
temperature and duration would allow "various harmful fungi to
survive", although they vigorously defended the treatment at the
Congressional hearings last summer. The new rules do not allow
importation of irradiated logs, but development of irradiation
techniques is being encouraged.

More important are the changes they did not make including
addressing the unreliablity of certification and other documents from
the former Soviet Union, even though APHIS admitted that "there
is widespread smuggling, forgery of documents, and coercion of
officials related to exports from the areas." Use of Methyl bromide,
a powerful ozone-depleting compound, will be expanded under the
proposal. APHIS ignored concerns about allowing logs and cants
potentially harboring virulent pests to be unloaded, transported on
uncovered trucks through Northwestern forests, and stored in open
sawmills for up to 60 days before being treated to kill all pests.
APHIS did not address concerns about log imports from Chile and
New Zealand or from countries where potential forest pests have
not been evaluated nor environmental risks assessed. The rule also
prevents states such as California from adopting stricter standards.


OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY CONFERENCE ON TIMBER IMPORTS

The College of Forestry at Oregon State University will host a
conference on timber imports entitled "Raw Wood Imports:
Environmental and Economic Implications" next March 4-6, 1996, at
the Portland Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. Both the
environmental community and the timber industry will have a
chance to present their position. Contact Joy Belsky at ONRC
503/223-9001 if you have suggestions for speakers and topics for
different panels. For information & regisation contact: Confernce
Assistant, Forestry Conference Office, Oregon State University,
Peavy Hall 202, Corvallis, OR 97331-5707; Tel: 503/737-2329; Fax:
503/737-4966; Email: dustmanp at ccmail.orst.edu
Joy Belsky, Oregon Natural Resources Council