^the Montana Forester

April 2001 Newsletter of the Montana Society of American Foresters http://www.forestry.umt.edu/saf

New Editor for the Montana Forester

I would like to introduce Cindy Bertek as the new editor of the state newsletter. Cindy has offered to take on the delightful task of producing the Montana Forester.

Cindy joined the DNRC as its newest Management Forester in the Southwest Land Office in March 2001. Before the DNRC, she worked with Plum Creek Timber in Missoula and Seeley Lake. She also taught elementary school at Potomac. She has been a member of the Society of American Foresters for six years.

Cindy is a graduate of the University of Montana with a bachelor of science in Forestry and a bachelor of arts in Elementary Education. She is also an alto sax player with the Missoula Community Band and the Young Women’s sport Director with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Eureka Log Haul

How many of you have a poster of the 1988 Northwest (Darby) Log Haul on your wall, at work, in an office, at home. You were proud to be a part of it. You have said you would do it again to support the forest and logging industries.

How many of you have seen the poster and the pictures, and wished you could have been a part of such a strong show of support? Have wondered if you would ever be able to show you believe in it?

You should seriously be thinking about being part of the Eureka Log Haul

Communities for a Great Northwest’s Ed Eggleston of Libby is leading a grassroots support effort designed to improve the survivability of the Owens and Hurst Mill – and designed to say THANK YOU to the people of the town of Eureka. For the past 13 years, any time and every time we have needed leadership and support in grassroots movement, the people of Eureka and Jim Hurst have been ready, willing and able to lend a hand. It was in Eureka that the Great Northwest Log Haul was spawned. It was in Eureka that the Shovels of Solidarity began their journey. Now, Eureka itself that is in trouble.

Text Box: Celebrate 101 years of SAF at the Montana State Meeting
May 18,19,20, 2001
Outlaw Inn, Kalispell, Montana

In association with 25 years of the Montana Logging Association

Speakers scheduled include Governor Martz, John Heissenbuttel and state representatives.

Look for registration information in the mail to you soon. Sponsored by the Flathead Chapter SAF. IT IS TIME TO EXTEND A HAND IN THANKS AND IN SUPPORT.

On May 17^th, supporters will be gathering in Eureka for a rally. Some will be delivering logs to the mill from their private lands in the form of 100 inchers in the back of pickups; some will deliver them loaded upon logging trucks. Owens and Hurst will purchase the logs or the logs can be donated. There is also a food drive for donations to the Eureka and Seeley Lake (in support of Pyramid Lumber) Food Banks. The Rally will gather at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds for a show of support, live bands and picnic.

If you would like information, would like to help, or have questions, contact Ed Eggleston at 293-8539, CGNW at 293-8844, Teddye Beebe at 293-5187 or Colleen Snyder at 293-7422.

A Note from the Chair

By Dave Stack

Montana SAF membership is currently 402. Many foresters in Montana are not currently members. There is a good chance you work with or know some these foresters. Please invite these foresters to your next chapter meeting and ask them to join. SAF membership is more than a numbers game. More SAF members strengthens our voice in all forestry issues. More members equals more energy for accomplishing our goals. Ultimately SAF represents our right to practice our profession of forestry.

What issues need debate within our Society? Any issue involving membership, diversity, natural resources policy or external communications is appropriate. Through the House of Society Delegates, we have an opportunity to elevate local issues to the State and then national level. I am interested in hearing about your issue. I will work with you to develop your ideas.

Plan to attend the annual meeting in Kalispell. This year, we will be meeting jointly with the Montana Logging Association. The program planning committee is working hard to develop a program that is exciting and interesting to the diverse interests of Montana SAF members. The annual meeting is a great time to renew old friendships and make new ones. See you in Kalispell in May.

Last month I sent a guest editorial, "America's Forest Fantasy" to several newspapers in the State. The editorial is included in the newsletter and is available on the Montana SAF web site. My goal was to advocate active management of our commercial forestlands.

America's Forest Fantasy

By Dave Stack, Chair. This guest opinion article was distributed to papers throughout the state. It has appeared in the Helena Independent Record and the Libby Western News. Please send copies to Bev Yelzyn, Communications Chair

We Americans want it all: abundant wood and paper products; undisturbed, scenic forests of large trees; no fires and lots of wildlife. This is a wonderful dream; but its built on fantasy and ignorance of ecological processes.

In Montana, the contradiction between public opinion against active forest management and consumption is stark. Over the last decade, we have seen significant decreases in timber harvest, mostly on national forests and increased mill closures. Last year we experienced widespread wildfires and dense plumes of smoke fueled by a century of fire suppression, which burned through residential areas and forests. At the same time, there has been a boom in construction of homes built with lumber and plywood and paper consumption continues to increase.

We cannot abandon active management of Montana's forests. Fire suppression, logging and prescribed fire all represent active management. The option of eliminating fire suppression and allowing fire to take a more natural course is unrealistic given the private ownership patterns and severe fires that will follow. The policy of allowing natural fires in wilderness and remote unroaded areas should continue since timber harvest is not an option.

Montana must have a viable forest industry statewide to: sustain healthy forests; provide employment, especially in rural areas, to provide income for small landowners and to provide natural resources.

Timber harvest is now an option on about 17 million acres of forestland in Montana. This does not include wilderness or the recently designated roadless areas. The forestland is managed by U.S. Forest Service (56%), private (22%), forest industry (9%) and State, BLM and Indian Trust lands (4% each). Harvest is less than one-half of growth.

Sustain healthy forests — Since wildfire will remain at low levels with fire suppression in

our managed forests (as compared with pre-settlement), timber harvesting and prescribed burning is needed to sustain a diverse forest with a wide variety of plants and wildlife. A healthy timber industry is needed to economically cut and remove trees. Projects proposed for federal forests in Arizona bear this out. Restoration treatments are often not viable because there are no longer timber markets in which to sell products removed by such treatments.

Contrary to common belief, forests are dynamic, not static. Fire played the dominant role in shaping and sustaining our forested ecosystems since the retreat of the glaciers. Fire behavior varied greatly across the landscape. Historically, low intensity fires occurred frequently in low elevation forests and did not kill the larger trees. Mid-elevation forests experienced severe fires, killing nearly all trees every 100 to 200+ years. A variety of plants and animals adapted to the many niches created by fire. Nutrients stored in trees were released by fire, preparing the land for the next generation of trees.

In our dry climate, historically fire recycled and removed a very high percentage of the excess trees and woody debris. Unless trees are cut and removed, most will eventually burn. This buildup of "fuels" is most apparent in low elevation dry ponderosa pine and douglas fir forests. Many residential areas are adjacent to forests at high risk for catastrophic wildfires.

Timber harvesting, in combination with prescribed fire, is an important tool in restoring and sustaining our forests and associated plant and animal communities over the long term. Thinning unnaturally dense forests should be our first priority on national forest lands. Timber harvesting can reduce fire severity, but not the number of fires.

Provide employment — Forestry provides good jobs in the woods and mills. These jobs are very important to the rural areas where alternative employment opportunities are limited. Jobs keep people living in and support our small towns.

Provide income for small landowners — Without a market for forest products, small landowners will seek alternatives for generating income from their land. The wildland character and use of these lands will change if harvesting is not an option. Some lands would be subdivided for home sites, other lands consolidated into large holdings. Hunting access could be more limited or expensive on the large holdings.

Provide natural resources — Americans use lots of wood each year - 75 cubic feet of wood per year per person. That's a tree 20 inches in diameter! The environmental trend since the 1960s has not changed consumption of forest products. Our population is projected to increase. Wood consumption is expected to increase even as the recycling trend continues. Using wood is much more environmentally friendly and energy efficient than substitute products like steel or aluminum.

America's forests are productive and renewable. Logging in Montana is planned, supervised and monitored by professionals - foresters, biologists and loggers. Stringent guidelines are followed to ensure environmental protection. It is common sense to responsibly harvest our forests.

Presented to Secretary of Agriculture, USDA, Ann M. Venema on: 2/9/01 by \William H. Banzhaf, Executive Vice President, SAF, from Michael T. Goergen

The Society of American Foresters (SAF) believes it is necessary for the Department of Agriculture to review the USDA Forest Service’s National Forest System Land Resource Management Planning; Final Rule (CFR Parts 217 and 219, Federal Register, November 9, 2000.) The rule is inconsistent with current law, particularly the statutory direction Congress provided for National Forest System lands in the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960.

We are concerned about the regulation’s treatment of sustainability. The Society of American Foresters holds sustainability of forest resources as a core value. Sustainability means meeting environmental, economic and community aspirations simultaneously. It requires the development and protection of natural resources at a rate, and in a manner, that enables people to meet their needs while providing future generations with the means to do the same.

The Forest Service’s planning regulations place ecological values above social and economic values of sustainability. This is inherently unsustainable, inconsistent with the profession’s concepts of sustainability, and inconsistent with internationally agreed upon principles of sustainability.

However, our largest concern with the regulatory framework is its species diversity requirements. If these regulations are not changed, protection of native plant, animal, and fish species could become the dominant, if not the exclusive, purpose for the 191 million acres of the National Forest System. If species diversity becomes the dominant use of the national forests, we believe the Forest Service will be in violation of current law. The Society supports the protection of biological diversity, however, our concern is that the regulation is overly burdensome, and not consistent with the concept of multiple use. The regulations state, "plan decisions affecting species diversity must provide for ecological conditions that the responsible official determines provide a high likelihood that those conditions are capable of supporting the viability of native . . . species well distributed throughout their ranges within the plan area." This would be difficult, if not impossible, to attain on many national forest landscapes.

Furthermore, the rule will likely curtail forest mangers’ ability to actively manage forest resources. The Forest Service was made aware of this outcome through comments on the draft rule made by the SAF. In addition, the Forest Service’s Research branch, and the former chair of the Committee of Scientists, whose work was to support new regulations, expressed reservations. The Forest Service chose to include the diversity requirements in

spite of these protests. Unless the rule is rewritten to eliminate the "high likelihood" language, planners and managers will likely have little or no flexibility to provide goods, services, benefits and values other than habitats for native species. This is a noble goal, but, again, it is not consistent with current law.

Active forest management can provide a wide range of goods, services, benefits and values in ways that best meet the needs of U.S. citizens, including habitats for native species. Many scientists support this viewpoint. For example, the scientists who wrote the Integrated Scientific Assessment for Ecosystem Management in the Interior Columbia Basin concluded that, "Active management appears to have the greatest chance of producing the mix of goods and services that people want from ecosystems, as well as maintaining or enhancing the long-term ecological integrity of the basin" (Quigley et al. 1996, p.185; Quigley et al. 1998, p.38).

Species diversity is one of the most contentious issues in forest planning (SAF 1999). Although many people believe the northern spotted owl issue in the Pacific Northwest was driven by the need to protect this threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, by far the greatest

decrease in federal timber sales on these lands during the 1990s were based on the need to comply with the diversity mandate of the regulations implementing the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (Hoberg 2001).

Former Secretary Glickman appointed the second Committee of Scientists in 1998 for the purpose of providing the scientific basis for new planning regulations. Professor K. Norman Johnson chaired the committee, which completed its work with a report in March 1999 (see COS 1999). When the committee’s recommendations were drafted into regulations, Dr. Johnson protested during the comment period, but to no avail. The requirements he expressed most concern about remained in the final rule. He said:

"I believe that this [species diversity] requirement, as written, will seriously undermine the ability of the Forest Service to achieve the broad definition of sustainability stated in the proposed rule and to meet the mission of the Forest Service of providing for multiple-use of the national forests and grasslands. There is no question, as the proposed rule acknowledges, that planning must be directed toward ensuring the ecological sustainability of our watersheds, forests, and rangelands. By interpreting this goal as requiring that plan decisions ‘must provide for ecological conditions that the responsible official determines provide a high likelihood that those conditions are capable of supporting the viability of native…species,’ though, the proposed rule will make wildlife protection the dominant, and in many cases, the exclusive goal of national forest planning. No matter what the cost to other resource uses and no matter what our knowledge of the species involved, this rule requires that a high likelihood of viability be sought. As a result, planning will be consumed by the need to meet this requirement, other considerations and values will be neglected, and the national forests will be unable to fulfill their historical role in American life of providing for a wide variety of goods, services, benefits and values in ways that best meet the needs of the American people" (Johnson 2001).

Professor Johnson described the management consequences as follows: "Active management will be an uncommon element in forest stewardship unless we rethink our standards for species protection" (Johnson 2001). The SAF recommends that the planning rule (CFR Parts 217 and 219) be changed so that professional resource managers can continue to provide the full range of goods, services, benefits and values the American people expect from their public lands. These regulations, in combination with the roadless rule and other transportation policies, will create a situation sure to invite limitless numbers of lawsuits and continued gridlock.

We recommend the Department of Agriculture examine the current statutory framework under which the Forest Service operates. The mission of the Agency has become unclear due to overlapping and conflicting legal direction provided by the variety of well-intentioned environmental statutes, regulations, and court cases. We have also enclosed our report Forest of Discord, which describes the need for change at the Forest Service.

A federal court has denied the Bush administration's motion asking for a delay in implementing the roadless area conservation rule approved by former-President Clinton. The Justice Department filed a motion in a federal court in Boise, Idaho, to delay a hearing scheduled for March 30 on the State of Idaho's request for a preliminary injunction to block the roadless rule. According to Department of Justice lawyers, the primary reason for the motion asking for a delay in the effective date of the roadless rule was to allow the new administration to further review the new regulations.

The Clinton plan bans road building and timber

harvesting on almost 60 million acres in national forests. The day he took office, Bush delayed the rule's implementation to May 12, a delay of nearly two months later than the date it was slated to go into effect, which was March 13. The recent motion would have postponed enactment of the rule until summer.

For more on this story visit the SAF website at: http://www.safnet.org/archive/motion32301.htm.

To read SAF's position statements on roads in the national forests, visit: http://www.safnet.org/policy/statements.htm and scroll down to "roads."

Bush’s Budget Impacting Natural Resources

On February 27, President Bush discussed his proposed budget with a joint session of Congress. In addition to a $1.6 trillion tax cut over 10 years, the centerpiece of his plan, Bush announced full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, providing $4.9 billion for maintenance backlogs in national parks. Other highlights of the Bush budget include maintaining funding for priority activities in the USDA Forest Service's wildland fire management plan, including hazardous fuels reduction. The budget also proposes an unallocated National Emergency Reserve for unforeseen

disaster needs.

However, the President's proposed 2002 budget does not maintain the same level of funding the USDA received in 2001. According to figures from the General Accounting Office, the Bush budget shrinks the USDA's funding from $18.6 billion to $17.9. In addition, the Bush administration has recommended that the Forest Service's field structure be streamlined in the interest of "provid[ing] additional efficiency savings."

The text of the President's speech can be found at: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/onpolitics/transcripts/bushtext022701.htm

To view the Bush budget document, visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/usbudget/blueprint/budtoc.html

USDA Releases $305 Million to Combat Wildfires

Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman recently announced the release of $305 million to the Forest Service to implement the agency's National Fire Plan. The funds are for fuel management projects to safeguard communities and decrease the unnaturally dense forest vegetation that has accumulated from decades of wild land fire suppression. The funds will also be used to restore and rehabilitate areas damaged by wildfires and to maintain both current fire facilities and the construction of new ones to further improve firefighting capacity.

For more information on the National Fire Plan, go to http://www.na.fs.fed.us/nfp/index.htm.

In related news, in testimony on March 29, before the US Senate Subcommittee on Forests and Public Land Management, Society of American Foresters' Vice-President David Smith called for Congress and the Bush administration to make a long-term commitment to the National Fire Plan that resulted from last year's disastrous wildfire season.

For more information, visit the SAF website at: http://www.safnet.org/policy/fireplan32901.htm

Editor’s Note: I have included this article because of it’s timeliness in the news lately, because it was a very popular topic when I was in Eastern Europe last fall, and because it’s sticking point is that the United States cannot use it’s reforestation and planting efforts to combat CO2 levels

International talks to limit the pollution that causes global warming will restart in late June or early July, said the Dutch Environment Ministry in a recent statement. However, no specific date or place for the new negotiations has yet been set. The latest round of UN talks in The Hague, chaired by the Dutch, broke down in November after US and European Union negotiators failed to forge a compromise on how to meet targets to cut greenhouse gas pollution set out in Kyoto in 1997.

Key stumbling blocks remain in implementing the Kyoto agreement, which calls for industrialized nations to trim carbon dioxide output by about five percent by 2010. The US has favored allowing states failing to meet targets to buy credits from countries that have met their goals, as well as counting carbon mitigated by forests and farms. The EU has opposed both proposals, arguing that nations must make real cuts to greenhouse gas pollution.

For more information concerning the Kyoto agreement, visit the official web page of the Kyoto Protocol at: http://www.unfccc.de

SAF's 2001 national convention will be September 13-17 in Denver, Colorado. The theme of the 2001convention is "Forestry at the Great Divide." The convention features an expanded science program, a plenary session on "What History Can Teach Foresters," and an address on "The Future of Forest Management." Plus, you can discover new tools, techniques, and strategies by networking with your colleagues. Social events will include a Western barbecue banquet, icebreaker reception, alumni socials, a fun run, and more!

You can save up to $85 off the registration rate by registering before May 30. Also, please be advised that hotel registrations must be made by August 12.

The SAF National Committee on Cultural Diversity is sponsors a scholarship program for students to attend the 2001 National Convention. Students who will be enrolled in school, either undergraduate or graduate, in September 2001 are eligible to apply.

Applicants must describe their interest in natural resources or forestry and how they meet the diversity criteria as stated in the mission of the National Committee on Cultural Diversity: "to encourage the involvement in the profession of a variety of people in terms of race, ethnic background, religion, age, sex, and those disabled, as well as the diversity of geography, employer groups, philosophies, and career choices within the broad field of forestry."

The scholarships will cover convention registration fees, transportation to and from Denver (up to $650), housing, and some meals. Applications must be received by April 20; announcements will be made by May 1. Please share this notice with students who may be interested in the scholarship program.

Application materials are available at: http://www.safnet.org/calendar/divscholar.htm, or you can contact Diversity Committee member Michelle Landuyt at (360) 414-9222; mlanduyt@pacifier.com.

CFE/CF Workshops

Practical Approaches for Conserving Native Inland Fishes of the West

The Montana Chapter and Western Division of the American Fisheries Society are hosting a symposium entitled "Practical Approaches for Conserving Native Inland Fishes of the West" June 6-8, 2001 at the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana. This symposium will emphasize knowledge on implementation and evaluation of field techniques.

People may be interested in this symposium include land managers who want to restore native fishes, restoration consultants who want to know more about restoring native fishes; anglers who want to know how native fish conservation and restoration might affect them; and any member of the public who is interested in getting the latest information on fish conservation.

81st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists

The University of Montana is excited to host the American Society of Mammalogists 81st Annual Meeting, June 16-20, 2001 in Missoula. Missoula and the surrounding Rocky Mountains are clearly a unique site for mammalogists and a destination site for family and friends. For additional information, contact: Kerry R. Foresman, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, Phone: (406) 243-4492

Partnership for Wildland Fire Training 2001 Training Schedule

This information was obtained from the website: http://www.umt.edu/globalfirenet/train.htm

Standards for Survival Sessions - University of Montana, Continuing Education Building. Be sure to wear clothing appropriate for practicing fire shelter deployments.

Four-Hour Refresher Course Dates: April 12, April 24, May 24, May 30, 2001. Tuition: $20.00.
Eight-Hour Standards for Survival Course Dates: April 26, May 15, 2001. Tuition: $35.00.

S-215 - Fire Operations in the Urban Interface June 4-8, 2001

S-230 - Crew Boss May 21-24, 2001

S-234 - Ignition Operations April 16-20, 2001

S-244 - Field Observer April 30-May 4, 2001

S-260 - Interagency Incident Business Management May 7-9, 2001

S-261 - Applied Incident Business Management May 9-11, 2001

S-270 & S-217 - Basic Air Operations & Helicopter Crew April 2-6, 2001

The Great Basin/Northern Rockies Fire Prevention Workshop. April 23–26, Whitefish, MT. Contact: Keep Montana Green website: www.keepgreen.org/workshop/htm.

Conserving Endangered Species on Nonfederal Lands. May 7–11, Missoula, MT. Contact: Registrar (304) 876-7200; fax (304) 876-7202; e-mail: nctc_registrar@fws.gov; website: http://training.fw.gov.

The North American Forest Insect Work Conference. May 14–18, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Contact: Jan Volney (780) 435-7329; e-mail: nafiwc@nofc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca; website: http://nofc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/nafiwc/.

World Wood Summit 2001. June 4–6, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Contact: Dana Jacoby (415) 538-3808; website: www.paperloop.com.

CFE Accreditation

The Society of American Foresters awarded a Certificate of Continuing Forestry Education to Steve Hayes, Certified Forester and Senior Forester at Plum Creek Timber Company. Steve accomplished over 150 hours of technical and non-technical forestry education over the last three years to achieve Certification.

Congratulations to Steve Hayes on his accomplishment.

Chapter News

Libby Chapter Spring Update

Missoula Chapter

Thanks to Jon Hayes, DNRC Forester, for an excellent presentation at the February meeting on the Sula State Forest Fire Salvage or “What I did on my Summer Vacation”. He said 87 % of the 13,798 acres burned. 7,640 acres was stand replacement fire intensity. Jon showed the several inch thick Environmental Analysis, which was completed in less than 3 months. Five timber sales have been sold totaling approximately 20MMBF.

During the March meeting, Mike Paterni, Regional Fire Plan Coordinator addressed the GAO report RCED-99-65 and the USFS Response titled "Protecting People and Sustaining Resources in Fire-Adapted Ecosystems: A Cohesive Strategy." He included the status of the current funding and the associated priorities such as rehabilitation following the 2000 fires, fencing, Non-Industrial Private Forest, NIPF, funding, state funding, and pre-commercial thinning.

Missoula April Meeting: “Pay now or Pay Later: Recreation User Fees Research and Montana”

FORESTRY DAY is APRIL 28TH!!! Here is a chance to get involved and help tell the public about our profession. Scott Kuehn could use some help in the Forestry Day planning. He needs help lining up exhibitors and displays dealing with forestry. He could also use help on the 28th, Forestry Day itself. He’s a committee of one trying to line up the whole thing. Please offer your help especially with the exhibitors. Contact Scott at 542-3273!!!!

Upcoming Activities

Forestry Days 2001

By Scott Kuehn

The Society of American Foresters in conjunction with the UM Woodsman Team and the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula is hosting their fifth annual Forestry Day on April 28^th. We will be hosting a one of a kind Pro/Am Lumberjack competition, plus operating our steam-powered sawmill. Over 150 professional and collegiate competitors compete in the Pro/Am lumberjack show. We will also be having various forestry and logging related booths, displays and hands on demonstrations.

This is the fifth year we have hosted this event, and the 23^d year the UM Woodsman team has hosted a collegiate logging show. All proceeds from the event go toward the UM Woodsman Team Scholarship fund.

We need help on Forestry Day. We need help with running the sawmill, display booths and planting trees on Arbor Day. If you are interested, please call me at 542-3273.

Family Forestry Expo

Forestry Expo is a week long event held each May, since 1990, to educate area students and families about forest resource management.

The Family Forestry Expo is sponsored and created by a diversified group of organizations including: local service groups, resource users, professional societies, government agencies, conservation groups, forest industry, local businesses, and interested individuals. Over 1,250 area fifth grade students attended the Monday to Friday portion of Expo XI and another 1,500 - 2,000 adults attended the weekend family portion of Expo. The program included a large range of topics: archaeology, fisheries, plant identification, forest management, wildlife, riparian areas, low impact camping, fire, mill tours, logging practices, ORV demonstrations, and a fun stop.

This year the student portion of the Family Forestry Expo will be Monday, May 7th through Friday, May 11th. The family weekend portion will be May 12th and May 13th. We anticipate about 1250 students from 56 area classes to attend this year's Family Forestry Expo XII. We invite you to share this experience with us.

Family Forestry Expo website is located at: http://www.digisys.net/ffe/ffeframe.html

To every member that ever opened the newsletter: Thank you for your support. As I have worked through becoming the newsletter editor, I have enjoyed it immensely.

To each Committee Chair: thank you for all your comments, suggestions and information provided to or pried from. Your ideas have shaped the newsletter so that each edition is individual.

A special thank you to State Chairs’ Ed Leiser, Gordy Sanders and Dave Stack for taking the late phone calls and giving last minute contributions.

And a very special thank you to Frank Cuff for encouraging me to volunteer the first time and for proofing each edition, often several times over.

I know that Cindy will have the same support - I look forward to receiving the next edition

Catherine Faulkner, Newsletter Editor March 1998-March 2001

This issue of the Montana Forester is dedicated to the memory of Dick Guth. Thank you, sir.

UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA

WOODSMAN TEAM

PRO-AM LOGGING SHOW

MISSOULA, MONTANA

PROFESSIONAL AND COLLEGIATE FINALS

SATURDAY, APRIL 28th

CONTESTANTS MEETING AND BLOCK DRAW AT 8:30

SHOWS START AT 9:00 AM AT THE UM WOODSMAN TEAM ARENA

LOCATED AT FORT MISSOULA NEXT TO THE HISTORICAL MUSEUM

This show is a combination of both collegiate and professional logger sports. The colleges will be competing against other colleges and the pros will compete against the pros, with events intermingled throughout the day. This is a chance for the collegiate contestants to watch and learn from the professionals and for us to promote our sport.

ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY FRIDAY APRIL 20th

C/O SCOTT KUEHN, 4375 OLD MARSHALL GRADE, MISSOULA, MT 59802

PHONE ENTRIES:(406)542-3273 (LEAVE MESSAGE)

Non Profit Org

U.S. Postage Paid

Permit No. 341

Missoula, MT 59801

the Montana Forester

Society of American Foresters

P.O. Box 5614

Missoula, MT 59806

New Editor for the Montana Forester

Eureka Log Haul

A Note from the Chair

By Dave Stack

America's Forest Fantasy

SAF position on FS planning regulations

Policy Committee

By Tim Love

New Members join Policy Committee

Montana Legislation

National News

Dombeck Resigns As Chief of USDA Forest Service

The Missoulian had a half page op-ed from Dombeck Thursday, March 29, 2001. For more information, visit the SAF website at: http://www.safnet.org/archive/dombec

Federal Court Denies Roadless Rule Delay

Bush’s Budget Impacting Natural Resources

USDA Releases $305 Million to Combat Wildfires

Canadian Lumber Agreement Update

Timber Sale Program Report Released

2001 National Convention