The amount of federally-owned timber sold to lumber companies in the US fell by 74% during the past 12 years because forest health took priority over timber sales, a government watchdog report says.
The study by the General Accounting Office comes at a time when environmental groups have accused the Bush administration of trying to boost timber sales from federal lands.
The total volume of timber offered for sale by the US interior department’s bureau of land management fell from 101 million board feet in fiscal 1990 to 26 million board feet in 2002.
According to the study, the decline in timber sales occurred because the bureau shifted its focus to protecting wildlife habitat, improving stream quality and preserving public recreation areas during the late 1980s.
