1995-05-09                     Senate Journal                      Page 1680
SB 180                                                                       
Dear President Pearce:                                                         
                                                                               
Under the authority of art. III, sec. 18, of the Alaska Constitution,          
I am transmitting a bill that establishes a new negotiated timber sales        
program for state land managed by the Department of Natural                    
Resources.  This bill addresses the need to stimulate local, small             
scale value-added processing of Alaska's forest resources and to               
foster creation of Alaskan  jobs.  With the introduction of this bill,         
we seek to provide a new focus on how timber should be managed                 
in Alaska by providing more jobs from timber cut on state lands by             
encouraging industries that process high-value finished wood                   
products.  At the same time, this legislation provides direction on            
management of our forests to preserve fish and wildlife habitat and            
other uses of the forest including tourism, fisheries, personal and            
family uses including hunting and fishing.                                     
                                                                               
The goal of my Administration in proposing this bill is to develop             
sound long-term strategies for managing Alaska's forest resources so           
as to provide the highest and best economic uses in local                      
communities that are dependent on timber resources while                       
maintaining other Alaskan uses through the constitutionally mandated           
sustained yield principles.  The attached bill maximizes the                   
opportunity for employment while minimizing the impact on other                
uses of our state forests.                                                     
                                                                               
I am introducing this legislation in the final days of the session             
because it is my understanding that the legislature will be holding            
hearings on timber over the interim and I think  it is critical that the       
new directions embodied in this bill are considered in the discussions         
of the legislature.                                                            
                                                                               
The bill has two main components:                                              
                                                                               
provisions for incentives for local manufacture of high                       
value-added wood products and other value-added wood                           
products from timber on state lands and authorizing use of                     
such incentives in awarding special negotiated timber sale                     
contracts (sec. 2 of the bill)