For the three-year period including fiscal years 1988-1993, an average of 743 million board feet of timber was offered for sale from Sierra Nevada national forests (Table 3.3.1a). Over the last decade, the volume of timber offered from national forests in the Sierra Nevada has dropped 71 percent.

Table 3.3.1a. Timber Sale Offerings from Sierra Nevada National Forests for Fiscal Years 1991-2002 (Does not include the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest).
	Averages FY 1991-1993		Averages FY 1994-1996		Averages FY 1997-1999		Averages FY 2000-2002
	Green (MMBF)	Salvage (MMBF)	Green (MMBF)	Salvage (MMBF)	Green (MMBF)	Salvage (MMBF)	Green (MMBF)	Salvage (MMBF)
Eldorado	70.928	110.631	11.916	18.577	21.397	29.401	30.196	12.908
Inyo	9.983	0.000	4.955	0.409	3.354	1.334	1.883	1.335
Lassen	58.569	44.337	36.417	68.852	33.900	24.770	48.134	17.046
Modoc	24.302	9.131	5.147	39.911	5.483	10.282	8.731	0.0
Plumas	58.504	59.332	24.518	29.946	20.031	20.594	10.021	5.793
Sequoia	16.159	45.466	12.003	7.236	17.200	3.934	4.959	2.876
Sierra	33.657	46.014	16.201	21.499	13.830	11.637	4.083	5.693
Stanislaus	21.312	71.459	31.481	6.025	9.953	27.420	8.319	6.767
Tahoe	35.455	15.837	23.637	54.620	19.529	34.137	22.325	22.127
LTBMU	5.708	6.318	0.569	15.811	2.264	3.300	1.198	0.407
Total	334.577	408.526	166.844	262.886	146.940	166.810	139.849	74.954
Combined Average Total	743.103		429.730		313.750		214.803

The volume of timber sold in Sierra Nevada national forests has also decreased over the last several years (Table 3.3.1b). Sales of sawtimber dropped by nearly half during the period from 1991 through 1993 compared to the high production levels of 1988-1990. The CASPO interim guidelines caused timber harvest volumes to decline even further between 1994 and 1996, to less than one-third of the average annual amount harvested during the previous three-year period. The most recent three-year average of timber sale volume (2000-2002) continues the downward trend, with timber sale volume falling to a decade low of 118 million board feet.

Table 3.3.1b. Average Annual Sawtimber Sold from National Forests in the Sierra Nevada Region, calendar years 1988-2002, in millions of board feet.
National Forest	1988-1990	1991-1993	1994-1996	1997-1999	2000-2002
El Dorado	156.4	109.5	5.9	40.6	35.2
Inyo	5.1	5.2	0.3	1.1	3.4
Lassen	134.9	124.2	19.3	41.7	19.8
Modoc	51.9	31.6	5.2	9.2	4.6
Plumas	185.3	75.6	20.0	23.3	6.0
Sequoia	48.5	47.7	4.9	14.1	6.1
Sierra	122.6	51.8	19.4	10.9	7.9
Stanislaus	180.1	47.4	14.2	31.7	10.2
Tahoe	103.3	33.3	47.3	31.1	25.1
LTBMU	4.0	3.6	13.8	1.4	0.4
Humboldt-Toiyabe	5.4	3.2	3.3	0.0	-
TOTAL	997.5	533.0	153.7	205.1	118.8

Source: USDA Forest Service Cut and Sold Reports, Regions 4 and 5, 1988-2002.

Commercial Biomass

Table 3.3.1c shows the distribution of woody biomass (convertible wood products and excelsior) sold from Sierra Nevada national forests. The Lassen and Plumas National Forests have historically been the largest producers of in-woods chips. Outside the Sierra-Cascade Axis subregion, only the Modoc and Stanislaus National Forests have been significant producers of commercial biomass. The Inyo, Humboldt-Toiyabe, Sequoia, and Sierra National Forests have produced small amounts of merchantable biomass. Low production in the Southern Sierra and Eastside Sierra subregions and the highly variable yearly output by forest and in the bioregion is indicative of the nature of the biomass market. The demand for biomass changes very rapidly. The result is that field units and private industry are both reluctant to invest significant time and energy in this effort compared to other activities. This behavior is coupled with the difficulty of establishing profitable forest biomass cogeneration facilities where supplies are inconsistent. Biomass utilization would likely improve under circumstances where there is stability and economic efficiencies in the delivery of raw material.

3.3.2. Grazing

The following information is provided to supplement the information provided in the SNFPA FEIS Volume 2, Chapter 3, part 5.3, pg. 402.

Grazing Use Levels

Over the past 15 to 20 years, livestock grazing has decreased in the Sierra Nevada national forests. In 1981, there were approximately 163,000 head of cattle and sheep; numbers 2002 are estimated at 74,000. Many factors have contributed to this decline, including the implementation of standards and guidelines of existing forest plans, management for threatened and endangered species, management to meet water quality standards, and livestock market fluctuations.

Table 3.3.1c. Commercial Biomass Produced from Sierra Nevada Region National Forests Calendar Years 1990-2002 (Bone Dry Tons).

Select to access Table 3.3.1c.

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USDA Forest Service · Pacific Southwest Region