Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

COUNCIL Mr. Mulligan. I'm Bill Mulligan, and I'm a logging manager for Potlatch Corp. at St. Maries. I'm here today to represent the Inland Forest Resource Council with this statement. I've submitted a statement of my own, which you have a copy of. I'd like to thank the log truck drivers of north Idaho who showed up today as a demonstration. I known that those fellows aren't public speakers, but they have a petition that they signed this morning for submittal to you, Senator, and I hope you realize that those fellows are foregoing about $50,000 worth of revenue today to show up and make sure you understand what their opinion is about wilderness in north Idaho. During the past two hearings a lot of testimony has been presented that expresses concern for Government subsidies of the timber industry through deficit sales. While the concern may be sincere, testimony is presented in ignorance, deceit or fraud depending on the witness' level of knowledge. By law, the Forest Service is to provide continous supply of timber for its citizens; by law, the Forest Service must receive at least minimum value for its timber; by law, the Forest Service must appraise timber to determine the minimum acceptable bids; and by law, the Forest Service must consider other resource values in its management programs. The public must keep in mind the appraisal value or the advertised rate of the timber sales is merely a place to start the bidding. The fair market value of the timber sale is established when the bidding stops and the sale is sold. That is usually many thousands of dollars beyond the point where the bidding starts. In order to understand a deficit sale, you must first understand the Forest Service appraisal. Thank you, Senator.