January 29, 2004
TO: AF&PA Forestry Executive Committee
AF&PA Federal Timber Purchasers Committee
Forest Industry Association Council (FIAC)
National Council on Private Forestry (NCPF)
National Association of State Foresters
FROM: Jay Farrell, AF&PA
LOG SCALING PROPOSAL WITHDRAWN!
Thanks to a rapid, united response from the forestry community a proposal that would have resulted in costly state regulation of log scaling practices has been withdrawn. I want to personally thank everyone who rallied to make this happen.
The National Conference on Weights & Measures (NCWM) was considering a proposal that, at a minimum, would have required mills to use cubic foot/meter scaling when buying and selling logs. AF&PA encouraged all forestry interests to oppose proposal “232-3 Scaling Methods for Trees, Sawlogs, & Veneer Logs” where “representations of trees and logs shall be in terms of cubic foot (or cubic meter)” for all timber sales. This would have required costly revisions to purchasing, accounting, inventory, and software systems. If passed, it would have been a model law adopted by reference in 18 states with others to follow.
The proposal was introduced by an economist with the USFS Forest Products Lab, but the Forest Service did not officially endorse it (and in fact testified against it). The NCWM Laws & Regulations Committee was overwhelmed with 170+ comments from the forestry community opposing the proposal (versus 5 comments endorsing it). AF&PA submitted joint comments on behalf of 27 associations representing industry, loggers, landowners, consulting foresters, and state foresters.
Special thanks go to the following individuals who braved a snowstorm to deliver oral testimony opposing the proposal on January 26th: Richard Lewis (FRA), Jane Hogan (Ontario Hardwoods), Bob Simpson (Tree Farm), Bill Timko (USFS), Anne Heissenbuttel (National Association of State Foresters), as well as weights and measures representatives from Alaska, New York, and California.
Following this strong response, the NCWM Laws & Regulations Committee had no alternative but to withdraw the scaling proposal from further consideration this year. However, similar proposals could resurface. All are encouraged to monitor The National Conference on Weights and Measures website (www.ncwm.net) prior to national meetings in January and July.
For more information please contact Jay Farrell at 202-463-2775 or jay_farrell@afandpa.org.