November 20, 2002	Contact: Tom Knappenberger (360) 891-5005 Fred Noack (360) 497-1133

Forest Supervisor Approves $1,475,714 in Advisory
Committees Forest Projects

VANCOUVER, WA – Maintaining Forest roads, renovating a historic lookout, and snowplowing for winter recreation are among $1, 475,714.63 in Resource Advisory Committee projects approved by Forest Supervisor Claire Lavendel recently. These funds are approved for Forest projects under the new County Payments law. The projects are under a revised program that requires a portion of federal payments to counties be spent on improving national forest lands.

Lavendel approved twelve projects recommended by the Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) for the south half of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, valued at $1,001,714.63, leaving $10,225 of the money Skamania and Klickitat counties allocated undesignated.

Lavendel also approved eight projects recommended by the North RAC valued at $474,000, leaving $144,643 of the money Lewis County allocated undesignated. The balances can be used by the RACs to recommend additional projects or be carried over to the 2004 Fiscal Year.

The committees are required under new county payments legislation to review and recommend proposals for funding of projects located on the Forest or that benefit the Gifford Pinchot.

The South RAC comprises Cowlitz, Skamania and Klickitat counties. The North RAC comprises Lewis County and the northern one-fifth of Skamania County. Each RAC has 15 members of various backgrounds who were selected last fall by the Secretary of Agriculture.

The projects are listed on the following page of this release.

The Secure Rural Schools and County Self-Determination Act of 2000 gives counties a payment in lieu of taxes on federal lands equal to the average of their three highest years' payments for Forest products between 1986 and 1999. Skamania County received the highest such payment in Washington last year -- $10.6 million. Lewis County received $5.1 million.

The counties are required to spend between 15 and 20 percent of their payments on either Title II or Title III projects. Title II projects are Forest enhancement activities requiring approval by the Forest Supervisor after being recommended by a RAC.

Gifford Pinchot National Forest
20 November 2002