HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
SENATE SUBSTITUTE FOR
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 26
Relating to the Forestry Utilization Committee.
WHEREAS, the forestry industry is a vital industry to Missouri, representing over fourteen million acres of Missouri timberland, which ranks our state seventh out of the twenty northeastern timber states, supports the bulk of Missouri recreation and tourism, directly provides thousands of jobs and supports tens of thousands of jobs where forest land and products are a vital component, directly generates three billion dollars of revenue, and indirectly supports the generation of many more billions of dollars in revenue; and
WHEREAS, the General Assembly wishes to maintain and enhance the positive economic contribution of this industry while making every attempt to minimize environmental harm and other negative aspects of the industry; and
WHEREAS, the industries' current practice of harvesting sixty percent of the tree, and its predominant production of low value-added products, limits the potential economic contribution to industry participants and to the state; and
WHEREAS, there exists a need for a study of the potential for increased industrial strength and rural economic gains to be realized by forestry adopting modern industrial business models and value-added techniques:
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the Missouri Senate, Ninety-Second General Assembly, Second Regular Session, the House of Representatives concurring therein, hereby authorize the creation of a "Forestry Utilization Committee", which shall review and evaluate both the industrial and economic impact of forestry utilization and make recommendations on further action or legislative remedies, if any, to be taken as necessary; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that such committee shall be composed of twenty-seven members, one member to be a member of the Missouri Senate to be appointed by the President Pro Tem of the Senate, two members to be members of the Missouri House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House, two county commissioners appointed by the Missouri Association of Counties, two forest landowners representing small forestry holdings with owners of less than two hundred acres of timber and two representatives of large forestry holdings with greater than two hundred acres of timber, to be appointed by the Missouri Farm Bureau, two forest landowners to be appointed by the Missouri Conservation Federation, a representative from the Resource Conservation and Development Councils, a representative from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Energy Center, a representative from the Missouri Enterprise Business Assistance Center, a representative of the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service's North Central Forest Experimental Station, a representative of the University of Missouri's School of Natural Resources, a representative of Value Missouri, a representative of the Society of American Foresters, a representative from the Missouri Department of Conservation's Division of Forestry, a representative of the Missouri Forest Products Association, a representative of the Missouri Department of Agriculture's Business Development Division, two representatives of a large-volume active sawmill and two representatives of a small-volume active sawmill appointed by the Missouri Forest Products Association, a representative of the School of Agricultural Sciences at Southwest Missouri State University and a representative of the Department of Agriculture, School of Polytechnic Studies at Southeast Missouri State University. Each member of the committee shall serve until December 31, 2005. A chairman, vice-chairman, and secretary shall be elected by the membership of the committee to conduct the business of the committee; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee may conduct its business by various means but shall meet no less than twice each year as a full committee; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all state agencies shall cooperate with the committee in carrying out its duties, including allowing access to closed records, as permitted by law, provided that the committee shall not disclose any identifying information contained in such records closed pursuant to statute or general order, and any such information in the custody of the committee shall not be discoverable to the same extent as when in the custody of the parent agency; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all members shall serve without compensation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of Administration shall provide minimal funding, administrative support, and staff for the effective operation of the committee; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall study problems and solutions, collect information, and provide recommendations in a report to the General Assembly before July 30, 2005; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall submit its final report to the General Assembly no later than December 31, 2005; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Forestry Utilization Committee shall terminate December 31, 2005; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Missouri Senate be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for the Governor for his approval or rejection pursuant to the Missouri Constitution.