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U.S. Code as of:
01/19/04
Section 620. Findings and purposes
(a) Findings
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Timber is essential to the United States.
(2) Forests, forest resources, and the forest environment are
exhaustible natural resources that require efficient and
effective conservation efforts.
(3) In the interest of conserving those resources, the United
States has set aside millions of acres of otherwise harvestable
timberlands in the western United States, representing well over
100,000,000,000 board feet of otherwise harvestable timber.
(4) In recent years, administrative, statutory, or judicial
action has been taken to set aside an increased amount of
otherwise harvestable timberlands for conservation purposes.
(5) In the next few months and years, additional amounts of
otherwise harvestable timberlands may be set aside for
conservation purposes, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of
1973 [16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.], the National Forest Management Act
of 1976, or other expected statutory, administrative, and
judicial actions.
(6) There is evidence of a shortfall in the supply of
unprocessed timber in the western United States.
(7) There is reason to believe that any shortfall which may
already exist may worsen unless action is taken.
(8) In conjunction with the broad conservation actions expected
in the next few months and years, conservation action is
necessary with respect to exports of unprocessed timber.
(b) Purposes
The purposes of sections 620 to 620j of this title are -
(1) to promote the conservation of forest resources in
conjunction with State and Federal resources management plans,
and other actions or decisions, affecting the use of forest
resources;
(2) to take action essential for the acquisition and
distribution of forest resources or products in short supply in
the western United States;
(3) to take action necessary, to meet the goals of Article XI
2.(a) of the GATT 1994 (as defined in section 3501(1)(B) of title
19), to ensure sufficient supplies of certain forest resources or
products which are essential to the United States;
(4) to continue and refine the existing Federal policy of
restricting the export of unprocessed timber harvested from
Federal lands in the western United States; and
(5) to effect measures aimed at meeting these objectives in
conformity with the obligations of the United States under the
WTO Agreement and the multilateral trade agreements (as such
terms are defined in paragraphs (9) and (4), respectively, of
section 3501 of title 19).
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