Log export restrictions of the Western states and British Columbia.

Abstract

The export of unprocessed timber is restricted from lands managed by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior, in the West. In addition, the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management have implemented regulations to ensure that Federal timber is not substituted for private timber. The export of unprocessed timber is also restricted from lands managed by the States of Alaska, Oregon, California, and Idaho. As a result of a suit against the State of Alaska and subsequent appeals, however, the attorneys general of the States of Alaska, Oregon, and Idaho have rendered opinions that language restricting exports should be removed from State timber sale contracts, contending that no enforcement is defensible until the litigation is resolved. The State of California attorney general's opinion is that "while California's restriction probably could not stand up to judicial scrutiny, the California constitution says a State agency has no power to declare a statute unenforceable. Therefore, until a California or Federal court specifically invalidates California code we are required to enforce the terms of the contract." The States of Washington and Montana impose no restrictions on exports. The export of logs or chips from British Columbia is permitted when it has been established that these are surplus to domestic needs. Certain species have been declared nonsurplus. Export approval criteria are most stringent in the southern coastal portion of the Province.

Citation

Hines, J.A. 1987. Log export restrictions of the Western states and British Columbia. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-208. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 13 p