00 CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 180(FIN) 01 "An Act authorizing the commissioner of natural resources to negotiate and 02 enter into timber sale contracts that provide for local manufacture of high 03 value-added wood products; and establishing an Alaska Forest Products Research 04 and Marketing Program within the Department of Commerce and Economic 05 Development." 06 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 07 * Section 1. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. The legislature finds that it is 08 in the best interests of the people and economy of Alaska to encourage the establishment and 09 sustainable operation of local timber processing facilities in Alaska to produce high value- 10 added wood products and other value-added wood products from timber cut on state land. 11 One means of encouraging such facilities is through the use of an incentive by reducing the 12 stumpage price of timber offered through negotiated timber sale contracts. The value-added 13 use of timber harvested in Alaska is intended to foster a stable, small scale, locally operated, 14 finished wood products industry by providing a steady reliable supply of timber at a reliable 01 rate over a period of time to a purchaser of the timber that will provide maximum 02 opportunities for jobs in Alaska without significantly adversely affecting fish and wildlife 03 habitat and the forest resources. 04 * Sec. 2. AS 38.05 is amended by adding a new section to article 4 to read: 05  Sec. 38.05.123. NEGOTIATED TIMBER SALES FOR LOCAL 06 MANUFACTURE OF WOOD PRODUCTS. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of 07 AS 38.05.115 and 38.05.120, and upon a finding that the sale is in the best interest of 08 the state, the commissioner may negotiate a sale of timber for use in the local 09 manufacture of high value-added wood products. A timber sale contract entered into 10 under this section may provide for a harvest of up to 10,000,000 board feet of timber 11 each year, consistent with sustained yield principles, and may be for a term of up to 12 10 years. Initial stumpage rates for a contract under this section shall be determined 13 by negotiation but may not be less than the base price for the area as established under 14 regulations adopted by the commissioner. A contract under this section shall provide 15 that stumpage rates shall be redetermined by negotiation at least once every three years 16 during the term of the contract, to reflect changes in market conditions; the 17 redetermined rates may not be less than the base price for the area as established under 18 regulations adopted by the commissioner. The commissioner shall by regulation set 19 a maximum number of contracts, but not less than three, per region of the state that 20 may be negotiated each year under this section. 21  (b) Notice of intent to negotiate a contract under this section shall be given in 22 accordance with AS 38.05.945. 23  (c) The commissioner may negotiate a sale of timber under this section if the 24 prospective purchaser agrees to use to the maximum extent commercially practicable 25 the timber subject to the sale for the local manufacture of high value-added wood 26 products. The commissioner shall determine the maximum amount of the timber being 27 sold that is commercially practicable to use for those purposes and make the use of 28 that percentage of the timber for those purposes a term of the contract. In evaluating 29 proposals, the commissioner shall take into account the proposed manufacture of other 30 value-added wood products to be produced under a negotiated contract. 31  (d) Before a sale may be negotiated under this section, the requirements of 01 AS 38.05.112 and 38.05.113 must be met. 02  (e) In making the best interest finding required by AS 38.05.035(e) and this 03 section, the commissioner shall consider, in addition to other factors, 04  (1) the direct economic benefit from the local manufacture of high 05 value-added wood products as a result of the sale; 06  (2) the direct economic benefit from other local processing of the 07 timber to be undertaken by the purchaser as a result of the sale, including the 08 manufacture of other value-added wood products in addition to high value-added wood 09 products; 10  (3) the likelihood of commercial success of the locally manufactured 11 high value-added wood products and other value-added wood products; 12  (4) the extent to which the sale is likely to result in the creation and 13 maintenance of a stable local job base; 14  (5) the stumpage return to the state; and 15  (6) any other reasonably foreseeable benefits to the state and local 16 economies from the sale. 17  (f) As part of the timber sale negotiations authorized by this section, the 18 commissioner may require a prospective purchaser negotiating a timber sale contract 19 to submit financial and technical data that demonstrates that the requirements of this 20 section have been or will be met. Upon the prospective purchaser's request, the 21 commissioner shall keep data provided by the purchaser confidential in accordance 22 with the requirements of AS 38.05.035(a)(9). 23  (g) If the commissioner determines that additional analysis is necessary in 24 order to complete the best interest finding for a sale under this section, the 25 commissioner may require the prospective purchaser to retain and pay for the services 26 of a contractor to assist the commissioner in evaluating the proposed negotiated sale 27 and financial and technical data relating to the proposed sale. The contractor shall be 28 selected by the prospective purchaser from a list of consultants in forestry and timber 29 economics provided by the commissioner. If the commissioner requires a prospective 30 purchaser to retain the services of a contractor under this subsection, the commissioner 31 shall determine the scope of the work to be performed by the contractor. 01  (h) Under this section, a performance review shall be completed not more than 02 five years after a timber sale contract is entered into by the department to ensure that 03 the purchaser is performing in accordance with the terms of the contract. If the 04 commissioner determines that the purchaser is not performing in accordance with the 05 contract, the commissioner may terminate the contract. 06  (i) A timber sale negotiated under this section does not affect other timber 07 harvest programs under AS 38.05.110 - 38.05.120. 08  (j) In this section, 09  (1) "high value-added wood product" means kiln-dried or commercially 10 dried lumber, interior finish paneling, and trim, flooring, doors, and windows, cabinet 11 stock, furniture, musical instruments or parts of instruments, toys, tools and 12 implements, ready-to-assemble building kits, veneer, plywood, finger-jointed lumber, 13 house logs, and other similar finished wood products specified by the commissioner 14 by regulation and, for deciduous aspen, poplar, and high defect birch, includes 15 engineered wood products and paneled wood products; 16  (2) "other value-added wood product" means pulp, chips, waferboard, 17 chipboard, fiberboard, green lumber, cants, slabs, or planks intended for remanufacture, 18 and other similar wood products specified by the commissioner by regulation. 19 * Sec. 3. AS 44.33 is amended by adding a new section to read: 20 ARTICLE 10. ALASKA FOREST PRODUCTS 21 RESEARCH AND MARKETING PROGRAM. 22  Sec. 44.33.900. ALASKA FOREST PRODUCTS RESEARCH AND 23 MARKETING PROGRAM. (a) The Alaska Forest Products Research and Marketing 24 Program is established in the Department of Commerce and Economic Development. 25  (b) The program is established to provide a statewide information 26 clearinghouse and coordinator to gather and disseminate information relating to 27 research and development, including technical, logistical, financing, marketing and 28 other relevant information regarding the manufacture of specific value-added wood 29 products and the establishment of new high value-added manufacturing facilities in the 30 state, and to assist in coordinating existing research and development efforts by state 31 and federal agencies and other public and private entities. 01  (c) The program coordinator shall identify unfilled needs and problems 02 impeding the development of a high value-added wood products industry in the state, 03 gather information and conduct analyses, and propose solutions by exploring successful 04 models in other states and nations. 05 * Sec. 4. Notwithstanding AS 38.05.123(a), added by sec. 2 of this Act, the commissioner 06 may negotiate no more than three sales of timber each year for local manufacture of high value- 07 added timber products under AS 38.05.123 in each region of the state in calendar years 1996, 08 1997, and 1998.