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<br />ROMCOE REPORT
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<br />Volume 8
<br />Number 6
<br />August, 1971
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<br />\/ Rocky Mountoln Center on Environment / Serving Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Nevada, Arizona, Montana, Idaho and Utah
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<br />
<br />SOUTHWEST ENERGY STUDY OFF TO GOOD START
<br />
<br />Interior's Task Force on the Southwest Energy Study
<br />conducted a br; efi ng for env; ronmenta 1 is ts in Wash; ng-
<br />ton on Auyust 13. Forty-one environmental and con-
<br />5ervati on 1 eaders. mQS t 1y frol11 the South~/e5 t, Here
<br />invited, although only about a dozen were able to
<br />attend. Albert G. l'lelcher, Llirector of Field Services
<br />for R.OiKOE, was at the briefing.
<br />
<br />Ur. W.T. Pecora, Under Secretary of the Interior
<br />and Task Force Chairman, and tile Task Force staff
<br />out 1; ned the; r proposed 5 tudy and had a ques t; on and
<br />discussion session. The briefing itself had public
<br />involvement as its purpose.
<br />
<br />The Task Force will conduct a survey of the com-
<br />prehensive effects of pO\.'/er generation in the Colorado
<br />River 8asin, includlng appropriate extensions of that
<br />geographic drea for such matters as power demand in
<br />Californla and possible power supply from other areas.
<br />It will take a systems analysis approach and will
<br />evaluate the total environment and cultural values,
<br />power demands to 1990 and beyond, and a lterna ti ves 1 n
<br />powe r consumpt i on and s upp ly, i nc 1 ud i ng exot i c sou rces .
<br />It will seek to determine the environmental tolerances
<br />of the Basin for the impacts involved in long tenn
<br />generation of power.
<br />
<br />The Study wi 11 be conducted by 12 worki ng groups,
<br />each headed by a Federa 1 agency. Impacts of pro-
<br />duction up to 30,000 megawatts of power will be
<br />studied (the six plants underway or proposed total
<br />12,000 i~W; the year 2000 energy additional demand for
<br />I the Pacific Southwest ,is 100,000 i~W), The study will
<br />be completed by I~arch 1, 1972, and a final report
<br />with recommendations will be submltted to the
<br />Secretary of the Interior by April 1, 1972, (This
<br />does not permit much basi c research or new data
<br />acquisition; maximum reliance must be placed on
<br />existing data.)
<br />
<br />Llaison will be conducted wlth Congress, states,
<br />industry, Indian tribes, universities and private
<br />organizations. The exact structure and modes of
<br />citizen involvement are not detailed yet, but the
<br />Under Secretary wants full citizen partiCipation and
<br />full credibility.
<br />
<br />The study wi 11 go we 11 beyond the "102 s ta tement"
<br />of the NEPA, It is to be factual and comprehensive,
<br />RiJNCOE's initial assessment is that this should be one
<br />of the best environmental studies to be done by the
<br />Federal Government. Dr. Pecora is eminently well-
<br />equipped to direct it. We encourage constructive
<br />cltizen input into it.
<br />
<br />PROPOSED FORESTRY lEGISLATION DEBATED
<br />
<br />Public hearings are underway on two bills repre-
<br />senting conflicting points of view on timber supply
<br />and management. S.350, introduced by Senator Mark
<br />Hatfield of Oregon, has received the support of the
<br />timber industry and would set up a trust fund to
<br />channel logging fees back to the Forest Service.
<br />Reforestation would have first priority under the
<br />trust fund, with improvement of quality of timber
<br />management and development of other aspects of the
<br />mul ti pl e use concept in second and thi rd pl ace.
<br />The bill also would provide matching grants to
<br />stimulate development of forests on prlvate and
<br />state-owned lands.
<br />
<br />While agreeing with such proviSions of 5.350 as
<br />reforestatlon, conservationists oppose the bill be-
<br />cause of its vague guidelines as to what constitutes
<br />sound forest management techniques. In addition,
<br />the bill is very weak on environmental protection
<br />measures. In view of the controversy which has
<br />raged during the last year over Forest Service
<br />clearcutting practices, conservationists feel a
<br />stronger bill is necessary.
<br />
<br />At the first public hearing in Atlanta, Georgia,
<br />environmentalists came out solidly in favor of
<br />5.1734, "The Forest Lands Restoratlon and Protection
<br />Act," introduced by Senator Lee r1etcalf of ;~ontana.
<br />This bill is identical to H,R.7383, which Repre-
<br />sentative John Dingell of 11ichlgan introduced into
<br />the House. S.1734 emphasizes environmental pro-
<br />tection on any land, public or private, where timber
<br />cutting is to be done, It specifies the type of
<br />terrain on which logging can be done and strictly
<br />regulates timber management practices such as clear-
<br />cutting. Other environmental provisions of S.1734
<br />include protection of rare and endangered species,
<br />restrictions on timber exports and protection of
<br />de facto wilderness areas until they are reviewed
<br />by Congress. At the Atlanta hearin9, forestry
<br />industry representatives were totally opposed to
<br />the regulatory aspects of S.1734,
<br />
<br />An additional hearing is scheduled for September 24
<br />in Syracuse, New York.
<br />
<br />A recent Forest Service report on timber manage-
<br />ment practices in 30 Wyoming national forests is
<br />quite critical of several forestry techniques used
<br />there. According to the report, multiple use plannlng
<br />has not been adequate, many clearcut areas have not
<br />regenerated, and clearcutting to control bark beetle
<br />infestations has not been successful.
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