PRINTER'S NO. 968
No. 137 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY MADIGAN, BOSCOLA, BROWNE, CONTI, MUSTO, ORIE, PIPPY, TARTAGLIONE, WENGER, ROBBINS, COSTA, STOUT, BRIGHTBILL, WOZNIAK, M. WHITE, RAFFERTY, PILEGGI, KASUNIC, WONDERLING, SCARNATI, FUMO AND ARMSTRONG, JUNE 17, 2005
REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, JUNE 17, 2005
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1 Establishing a task force to study issues concerning the renewal 2 and management of this Commonwealth's forests; providing for 3 an advisory committee; and directing the Joint Legislative 4 Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee to 5 provide administrative support to the task force. 6 WHEREAS, Seventeen million acres in Pennsylvania are forest 7 land; and 8 WHEREAS, Forests provide numerous economic, recreational and 9 environmental resources; and 10 WHEREAS, Sustainable forestry provides new management 11 strategies for our forest resources and improves the health, 12 quality and diversity of Pennsylvania's forests; and 13 WHEREAS, The new strategies will determine the future of 14 forests in this Commonwealth; and 15 WHEREAS, The forestry task force previously established by 16 House Resolution No. 263, Printer's No. 4110 (1994), Senate 17 Resolution No. 29, Printer's No. 720 (1997), House Resolution 18 No. 13, Printer's No. 2113 (1999), Senate Resolution No. 81,
1 Printer's No. 1077 (2001) and House Resolution No. 256, 2 Printer's No. 1510 (2003) has been helpful to the General 3 Assembly and instrumental in addressing issues facing the 4 forestry community; therefore be it 5 RESOLVED, (the House of Representatives concurring), That the 6 General Assembly establish a forestry task force to be comprised 7 of two members of the Senate, one appointed by the President pro 8 tempore of the Senate and one appointed by the Minority Leader 9 of the Senate, two members of the House of Representatives, one 10 appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and one 11 appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of 12 Representatives, and the members of the forestry task force 13 shall choose a chairman from their number; and be it further 14 RESOLVED, That the forestry task force conduct a 15 comprehensive study of and investigate the following: 16 (1) the growing threat of forest pests and diseases, 17 including, but not limited to, emerald ash borer, sudden oak 18 death syndrome and Asian longhorn beetles; 19 (2) the impact of municipal ordinances on accessing 20 private forests and conducting sustainable forestry; 21 (3) the United States Forest Service's survey of the 22 private forest land owner in Pennsylvania; 23 (4) the prescribed burning as a forest regeneration 24 management tool; and 25 (5) the impact of government's increasing acquisition of 26 private forest land and the maintenance of those acquisitions 27 as working forests; 28 and be it further 29 RESOLVED, That the forestry task force hold hearings, take 30 testimony and make its investigations at such places within this 20050S0137R0968 - 2 -
1 Commonwealth as it deems necessary; and be it further 2 RESOLVED, That an advisory committee be created by the 3 forestry task force to assist in developing facts and 4 recommendations concerning the renewal and management of forests 5 in this Commonwealth and that the advisory committee be composed 6 of representatives of the following entities: 7 (1) Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, 8 Bureau of Forestry; 9 (2) Department of Agriculture, Hardwoods Development 10 Council; 11 (3) Pennsylvania Game Commission; 12 (4) The Pennsylvania State University, School of Forest 13 Resources and Cooperative Extension Service; and 14 (5) United States Forest Service; 15 and be it further 16 RESOLVED, That the advisory committee have one representative 17 from each of five business organizations representing the forest 18 products industry, one representative from each of five 19 nonprofit conservation and environmental organizations and one 20 representative from up to three other organizations that the 21 forestry task force deems appropriate to be represented; and be 22 it further 23 RESOLVED, That the General Assembly direct the Joint 24 Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation 25 Committee to provide sufficient staff and other administrative 26 support to the forestry task force; and be it further 27 RESOLVED, That the forestry task force prepare a report 28 containing its findings and recommendations, together with any 29 necessary legislation, and deliver it to the General Assembly as 30 soon as possible. E9L82DMS/20050S0137R0968 - 3 -