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People working together for social, economic and environmental justice in Tennessee
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Forestry Committee
For information about times and places of the meetings of the SOCM Forestry Committee
please check the CONTACTS page
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Current Work:
In the 2005-06 session, members will be working to try and pass one of the
most urgent pieces of SOCM's comprehensive bill called the Tennessee Forest
Resources Protection Act. This bill would require any new (or expanding)
chipmills that come to Tennessee to apply for a permit.
The permit would only be granted if it can be shown that there is enough timber in the area surrounding the chipmill to feed the mill without having a negative impact on local communities.
The bill also requires existing mills that produce or consume over 50,000 tons of pulpwood a year to register with the state.
This bill does not put any regulations on local sawmills, landowners, or loggers. The permit provision of the bill only applies to chip mills that have the capacity to use 80,000 tons of pulpwood or more in a year.
The bill will not cost the taxpayers anything: Fees will be paid by the businesses covered under the bill to cover the costs of the forest resources study and the registration & permitting process.
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Why Join the Forestry Committee?
Committee member Barbara Levi explains: Tennessee currently has no laws or regulations regarding the rate or amount of timber harvesting.
We are seeing an increase in large timber companies purchasing land for clearcutting, chipmills, and other low value-added facilities.
This often results in the threat of overharvesting.
In addition, with clear-cutting as a prime method of "harvesting," mixed hardwood forests are often replaced with single species like pine.
SOCM's Forestry Committee believes that forests in Tennessee are more than "fiber crops."
They believe that done right, timbering can be carried out in ways that are less damaging to the environment and economically beneficial to local communities and the state.
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The committee is working for state legislation that recognizes the many values of forests in Tennessee and works to minimize destructive harvesting practices and over-deforestation.
You don't have to know about how to develop legislation or about the science of forestry to join the committee. If you care about the future of Tennessee's forests and want to work to help shape that future, you may want to join SOCM's Forestry Committee.
See the FORESTRY ACTION PAGE for a sample letter you can send to legislators and newspapers to support this work.
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History/Past Accomplishments
In the mid-1980's there was a big move of chipmills from the Pacific Northwest to the Southeast with a growth from under 40 chipmills in 1985 to currently over 145 mills in the South.
In the early 90's SOCM members became alarmed at the increased rate of clearcutting in Tennessee.
This change was part of a region-wide growth in chipmills. Chip mills grind wood into flakes and then into pulp to make paper or cardboard, or to be glued together to make panels.
An average chip mill consumes 7,500 to 20,000 forested acres/year.
After finding out that there are no laws regulating how timber is harvested, members spent several years researching laws in other states.
In 1997 SOCM introduced comprehensive forestry legislation to address the threat of increased chipmill siting, overharvesting and irresponsible forestry practices.
Members began the struggle knowing it would take years of effort.
Since then, members have brought the issue from the back burner to the lime light with major media campaigns in Humphries and Warren counties, legislative hearings and grassroots lobbying every year.
SOCM introduced and lobbied for comprehensive forestry legislation for '97-'98 and '99-'00 legislative sessions, gaining support and educating legislators.
The SOCM Forestry Committee introduced the Tennessee Forest Resources
Protection Act (above) during the 2001-2002 and 2003-2004 legislative
sessions. In 2002, the Senate Environment Committee voted against passing
the bill. Voting for the bill were: our sponsor Sen. Fowler, as well as
Sen. Jim Kyle (D-Memphis) and Sen. Charlotte Burks (D-Monterey). Voting
against the bill were: Sen. Mark Norris (R-Collierville), Sen. Jo Ann Graves
(D-Gallatin), Sen. Ron Ramsey (R-Blountville), and Sen. Randy McNally (R-Oak
Ridge). In the 2003-2004 session, SOCM actively lobbied for the bill, but
it was not brought up for a vote due to opposition from the Department of
Agriculture. Although the legislation has not passed, SOCM gained many new
legislative allies and brought media attention and public awareness to the
issue. SOCM members plan on continuing until responsible forestry
legislation is passed.
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