File Code: 1510

Date: December 12, 1995

Honorable Wally Herger
House of Representatives
2433 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Congressman Herger:

This is in response to your November 12, 1995 letter in which you expressed concerns about the withdrawal of the Barkley fire salvage timber sale. The Lassen National Forest Supervisor was surprised and disappointed that the sale did not attract any bidders when it was put up for bid on Oct. 25. This lack of bidders and a rising public concern, expressed locally by the Quincy Library Group in there Oct. 23 letter of opposition, persuaded him to place the sale on the shelf temporarily. It is not permanently withdrawn, and will be reoffered.

As you point out, the Forest Service worked very hard and did an excellent job of preparing this sale and getting it onto the market. There has been some interest expressed since the original bid opening date, although it is not clear why they did not offer bids on Oct. 25. It was properly advertised.

The Forest has a tremendous workload in their timber salvage program and is pushing on with the preparation of other salvage sales in order to be ready to advertise and sell their committed volumes this next spring and summer. Also, the operating season is basically over for this year. With these considerations in mind, the Forest Supervisor, after consultation with my office, elected to shelve the Barkley Sale and reoffer it in the late winter or spring time period.

The Lassen National Forest is committed to an aggressive salvage program, as their performance over the past several years indicates.

Should you wish to discuss this further, please give Supervisor Atencio or me a phone call.

Sincerely,

/s/ Jose Cruz

for G. LYNN SPRAGUE
Regional Forester