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Diminishing timber revenues
require
smarter decisions for funding school construction
By Rep. Dan
Kristiansen
On Aug. 26, the state
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) began accepting bids for tree
harvest to thin 70 acres of state trust lands about 22 miles northwest of
Concrete. It's part of the "sustainable harvest program" in which
the state auctions and sells timber from portions of its 2.1 million
acres of forested trust lands (131,206 acres of which are in Skagit
County), but no more trees are taken than what those lands could grow.
Not only has the program
provided jobs in the timber, logging, construction, and housing
industries for local families, it's an important source of Washington's
school construction funding. Years ago, lawmakers created the "common
school construction fund" with funding "derived from the sale or
appropriation of timber and other crops from school and state land..."
(RCW 28A.515.320)
The law lists other sources of revenue for this fund, but a primary
source for schools is timber sales on state lands.
Normally, few people
outside the timber industry would pay attention to these tree auctions.
This year is different. As new housing demands have evaporated in this
recession, so has the demand for lumber. Timber prices are down by as
much as 60 percent. Many loggers are out of work. Mills have curtailed
operations.
Rock-bottom prices are
also having a trickle-down effect on school kids. How?
As a DNR official told me,
from 14 harvestable lands put up for auction in March, bids were
received for only six harvests. Fewer people are bidding and available
harvests remain unsold. Those purchased are at the lowest prices. That
means less money for the common school construction fund.
"It's a big hit against
this fund," said the official. "Revenues have gone down by about 50
percent over the last 18 months. It has a direct correlation to school
construction funds, as well as revenues that counties receive from these
harvest sales that they use for hospitals, roads, and fire districts."
Less money could mean
local taxpayers may be faced with picking up more of the tab for school
construction. I know this area is supportive of its schools.
Families struggling in this economy, however, worry about digging deeper
into their empty pockets.
Although some suggest we
abandon timber sales as a reliable funding source, I don't think we
should throw the baby out with the bathwater. Instead, we need to make
smarter decisions that will get us through these hard times, such as
reducing mandates that hike school construction costs.
Four years ago, the
Legislature established "green" building standards for new schools. The
new standards have increased school construction costs by about 5
percent -- or about $25 million this year. Although supporters said the
standards would save money by making schools more energy efficient, a
KING 5 investigation found the opposite. In fact, one "green" middle
school in Tacoma is using 30 percent more energy than a similar one
without the standards. Suspending these rules could save millions -- a
smarter decision as less timber revenue is available for school
construction.
Another way is to exempt
school construction from the state's sales and use tax, which would
further decrease costs.
These are my suggestions,
but I'd like to hear from you. I invite you to visit my Web site (www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/Kristiansen)
and e-mail me your ideas on this topic or any other state government
issue.
# # #
EDITOR'S NOTE:
State Rep. Dan Kristiansen, R-Snohomish,
represents the 39th Legislative District, and also serves as chairman of
the Washington House Republican Caucus. He can be contacted at (360)
786-7967 or from his Web site at:
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/Kristiansen.
For more information, contact:
John
Sattgast, Senior Information Officer: (360) 786-7257
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