05/09/1988 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e ferred alternative J. Councilor Wooten said she would be willing to draft any council recommendations if necessary. Councilor Bennett said he appreciated the opportunity to read the minority report as well as the majority report, and commended the minority report as well-written. He referred to page 4, economic issues, of the minority re- port, and said to his knowledge those facts are accurate. Councilor Bennett said that in his conversations with people in the industry, automation will not continue at the current level with less of a negative effect on employ- ment. Additionally, the local area has not competed well with the southern portion of the United States in terms of transportation costs and other costs, and he understood this position may be improving. While lumber and wood products manufacturing employment is slowly declining in importance and diversification is occurring, it still playa major role in the local econo- my, and it is necessary that it be maintained over as long a period of time as possible. e Councilor Bennett asked Councilor Holmer or Councilor Rutan to address the minority report position on scenic issues. Councilor Holmer said it is true that there are more roadless acres, more scenery, and more old growth, but there are fewer jobs. The majority concern was to weigh dispersed recreation and developed recreation against the economic consideration. The majority did not believe the forest service gave adequate attention to the economic implications of the allowable cut. Councilor Bascom pointed out that this did not answer the question. Councilor Wooten said in the context of CCED discussions, the issue of scenic value was not brought up. She pointed out that there would be no untouched scenic corridors or view sheds under alter- native B, which she likened to the majority report; rather, 64 percent would be heavily cut. Councilor Bennett asked if there had been any technical response to the City of Salem's position. Councilor Wooten said forest service staff did not analyze that document. She reiterated that under the preferred alternative J municipalities using the forest as a water shed will spend additional money on water treatment due to additional sedimentation. Councilor Bennett asked if the CCED discussions had been affected by the County.s position. Council- or Rutan said the County's position came afterward. Councilor Wooten added that the County position recommended that nothing in the Waldo Lake area be touched at all. She said there is no way the local area can realize 700 million board feet from the forest on a ten to 15 year basis without cutting the Waldo Lake area, and said that the County's position was contradictory. Councilor Bennett suggested using 650 million allowable board feet in the recommendation to work with the County's position. Councilor Bascom said she would like to send both the minority and majority report to the forest service as the council will be split on this issue. She said, on the basis of her reading of the reports, she said it would be fair to put at the top of the list "timber supply;" however, she was unable to support the allowable cut recommended by the majority. She felt it disre- garded the critical issue of land resources and what the land is capable of e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 9, 1988 Page 15