United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1994-10-28 monographic deposited born digital 35 p. GA 1.13:RCED-95-12 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-12 P0b002ee1803976e7 f:rc95012 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-12 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-12 RCED-95-12 Environmental policies Natural resources Land management Timber sales Data collection operations National forests Forest conservation Forest management Endangered species Administrative costs Gifford Pinchot National Forest (WA) Ouachita National Forest (AR) Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest (GA) Deschutes National Forest (OR) Mt. Hood National Forest (OR) Letter Report RCED

In recent years, debate about the future of the national forest system has focused on ensuring that timber harvests do not exceed the forests' ability to replenish the available supply of timber. An important component of managing forests on a sustained-yield basis is each forest's "allowable sale quantity"--an estimate of the maximum volume of timber that can be sold from each forest over a 10-year period without impairing other uses of the forest, such as recreation or wildlife habitat. GAO reviewed the allowable sale quantities and the timber sales at five national forests--Deschutes and Mt. Hood in Oregon, Gifford Pinchot in Washington, Ouachita in Arkansas, and Chattahoochee-Oconee in Georgia. The Forest Service did not meet allowable sale quantities in the five forests for a variety of reasons, including (1) limitations in the data and estimating techniques on which the allowable sale quantities were originally based, (2) new forest management issues and changing priorities, and (3) rising or unanticipated costs associated with preparing timber sales and administering harvests. Although forest officials believed that the Service has used the best information available to develop the allowable sale quantities, they later failed to meet these levels. As a result, timber sales for each of the five forests between fiscal years 1991 and 1993 were significantly below the average annual allowable sale quantity. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-12/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-12.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-12/pdf/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-12.pdf GAO/RCED-95-12 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-12 Letter Report GAO/RCED-95-12; Forest Service: Factors Affecting Timber Sales in Five National Forests; Environmental policies Natural resources Land management Timber sales Data collection operations National forests Forest conservation Forest management Endangered species Administrative costs Gifford Pinchot National Forest (WA) Ouachita National Forest (AR) Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest (GA) Deschutes National Forest (OR) Mt. Hood National Forest (OR) Title 16 Section 1600-1614 Title 16 Section 528-531 16 U.S.C. 1600-1614 16 U.S.C. 528-531 Title 42 Section 4321 42 U.S.C. 4321