Sustained Yield Unit

The purpose of the Sustained Yield Unit (SYU) Act of March 29, 1944 (58 Stat. 132; 16 U. S. C. 583-5831), is to stabilize communities, forest industries, employment, and taxable forest wealth; to assure a continuous and ample supply of forest products; and to secure the benefits of the forests in the regulation of water supply and stream flow, prevention of soil erosion, amelioration of climate and preservation of wildlife.

(1) Except as noted below and as otherwise approved by the Regional Forester to meet emergencies, not less than the following percentages of National Forest sawtimber sold in the SYU must be given primary manufacture within the Feather River Communities.

Sierraville R.D. of the Tahoe N.F. -----------------------------------------------

The area includes the communities of Susanville, Westwood, Chester, Greenville, Quincy, Portola, Loyalton, Sierraville, Bieber, Cresent Mills and Milford as specifically defined on the attached map.

Primary manufacture required for specific products is defined and shown on the attachedmatrix.

(2) Cull (fiber) logs are exempt from the requirements cited herein. Cull (fiber) logs are logs six inches in small-end diameter, ten feet or more in length and containing less than 25 percent sound material.

(3) Material identified as sub-standard resulting from forest management activities is exempt from the manufacturing requirement.

(4) It will be the objective of the Forest Service to design a sale program for the SYU so that active competition for the purchase of the timber will be possible and that efficient logging operations of varying sizes can be accommodated.

National Forest sawtimber and other forest products resulting from forest health and ecosystem management practices will be offered for sale on a competitive basis. Standard Forest Service appraisal methods will be used in arriving at advertised rates as long as competition for the material exists. Advertised rates will be determined using bid values received from sales inside and outside the SYU to maintain bid ratios. When it is determined by the individual National Forest that competition is not occurring or not likely to occur, the Forest Service shall apply appraisal rates determined from other National Forests outside the unit for similar materials. Bids will be accepted from businesses outside the unit for similar materials. Bids will be received by purchasers from from within the SYU. When no bids are received, then bids from the other purchasers will be opened immediately. Volume sold under this process is exempt from the SYU manufacturing requirements.

Amounts of volume to be offered will not be established, as volume outputs will be a result of the application of the forest health and ecosystem management principles applied to target acreages.

(5) National Forest timber that results from these management practices and offered through Special Salvage Timber Sale (SSTS) program will be exempt from the manufacturing restriction. SSTS volume must be purchased by established operators. Established SSTS operators are defined as those having 25 or fewer employees and owning or operating a business with the headquarters located within the defined working circle boundary. Volumes offered will be of similar percentages of total volumes as related to total volume historically sold by the National Forests since 1988.

(6) Applicable provisions to effectuate this policy statement will be included as conditions of sale in timber sale contracts covering the Plumas N.F., Lassen N.F. and the Sierraville R.D. of the Tahoe N.F.

The primary purpose for establishment of the Feather River SYU is to provide the maximum feasible support to the communities located within the SYU by existing or new timber industries. Timber from the SYU therefore will be sold under conditions designated to promote the following objectives.

(1) Maintenance of steady employment opportunities in the Feather River community, for a five year period, starting from the date of approval with the opportunity to continue the SYU for an additional five year period*.

(2) To facilitate employment opportunities, the labor for logging and related operations, lumber mills, manufacturing plants, forest improvement activities conducted by companies, affiliates, or contractors within the SYU shall be recruited from communities of the local area whenever possible. Operations will be planned when possible to afford continuous employment to the workers dependent upon forest industries of the SYU for their livelihood.

The SYU is intended to be terminated at the end of the five-year period; but prior to the end of the first five- year period, an advisory hearing will be held to allow interested persons to express themselves on the advantages or disadvantages of the SYU.

* Monitoring of the SYU for Forest Health and Community stability is to occur on an ongoing basis. A yearly report is to be developed that will display results. Items to be addressed in the monitoring report include bid ratios, volume and type of material sold, numbers of purchasers, volume sold inside as well as outside the SYU. From the monitoring effort an evaluation of the results will be used to make a determination on whether or not to renew the SYU after five years for an additional period of time.

FOREST PRODUCT	MEETS SYU CRITERIA	PRIMARY MANUFACTURE	RATIONALE
SAW TIMBER	YES	Logs broken down into dimension, shop, common or smaller lumber as per WWPA standards	Very labor intensive, profitable. Large part of existing economy.
POLES & PILINGS	YES	Manufactured product derived from pole manufacturing facility.	Opportunities for growth in this area.
SUB-STANDARD MATERIAL	NO	As per A-2 in USFS timber contract.	Primarily processed on site. Material transported prior to chipping is minimal.
CULL LOGS	NO	As per A-2 in USFS timber contract. (25% or less sound)	Cull log sales already exempt under SSTS exemption. Cull logs on green sales are minimal in comparison to green timber.
HARDWOODS	NO	As per A-2 in USFS timber contract.	Minimal amount harvested.