and Bureau of Land Management should implement 
an accelerated thinning regime across a wide land-
scape, primarily in young managed stands. 
(4) There are vast unmet thinning needs on 
Westside Forest lands. Currently there are over 
1,000,000 acres of young managed stands des-
ignated as late-successional reserves within the 
range of the Northwest Forest Plan that need imme-
diate thinning or will need thinning in the near fu-
ture. 
Additionally, 
there 
are 
approximately 
1,000,000 acres of young managed stands des-
ignated as matrix on these lands that are also in im-
mediate need of thinning or will need thinning in the 
near future. 
(5) The Forest Service estimates that thinning 
the millions of acres of young managed stands on 
Westside Forest lands could produce approximately 
6,000,000,000 board-feet of commercial timber over 
the next couple of decades. 
(6) The timber industry in Oregon and Wash-
ington has largely re-tooled its existing mills to proc-
ess the smaller-diameter commercial timber gen-
erated from thinning young managed stands and is 
no longer dependent on large-diameter old-growth 
trees.
(7) A program of intensive and accelerated 
thinning in young managed stands could annually 
yield twice the volume of commercial timber prod-
ucts than the volume currently being produced from 
Federal lands under the Northwest Forest Plan. 
(8) The Olympic and Siuslaw National Forests 
represent nine percent of the National Forest land 
base in Oregon and Washington under the North-
west Forest Plan, but in 2003 produced almost 20 
percent of the volume in this area. A number of fac-
tors account for this fact, but the primary reason for 
these forests’ productivity is the absence of appeals 
and litigation due to an emphasis on thinning young 
managed stands. 
(9) The Siuslaw National Forest generates ap-
proximately 20,000,000 board-feet annually, with 
the potential to generate 50,000,000 board-feet, 
from young managed stands, resulting in millions of 
dollars for additional restoration projects, other for-
est accounts, payments to local counties, and the 
Federal Treasury. 
(10) The Gifford Pinchot National Forest was 
once the top producing forest in Washington. Har-
vest volumes dropped substantially, to approximately 
2,000,000 board-feet of timber per year, due to con-
troversy over old-growth logging. Since shifting to 
an emphasis on thinning young managed stands, the 
Gifford Pinchot National Forest can now produce 
nearly 18,000,000 board-feet of commercial timber 
annually with virtually no controversy, appeals, or 
litigation. 
(11) Thinning young managed stands could sig-
nificantly contribute to improved forest health, water 
quality, wildlife and vegetation diversity, and the de-
velopment of vital old growth forest ecosystems, 
while providing thousands of jobs and much-needed 
economic activity in depressed rural communities of 
Western Oregon and Washington. 
SEC. 4. INVENTORY OF WESTSIDE FOREST LAND. 
(a) WESTSIDE FOREST INVENTORY.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, each 
Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management adminis-
trative unit containing Westside Forest land shall—
(1) identify different forest land management 
allocations, as amended by the Northwest Forest 
Plan; and 
(2) identify the location, acreage, and age of old 
growth stands, young managed stands, and other 
naturally occuring stands, regardless of land man-
agement allocation.
(b) EXISTING INVENTORIES.—Existing forest inven-
tories may be used to satisfy the requirements of this sec-
tion, subject to an internal review confirming the accuracy 
of the inventory. 
SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES FOR WESTSIDE FOREST 
LAND. 
(a) FOREST HEALTH PROJECTS; PRIORITIZATION.—
Upon completion of the forest inventory required by sec-
tion 4 for a Forest Service or Bureau of Land Manage-
ment administrative unit, the administrative unit shall 
plan and implement projects described in subsection (b) 
through (e) to enhance the forest health of Westside For-
est land managed by the administrative unit. In selecting 
such projects, resources of the administrative unit shall 
be prioritized so that significant acreage identified in the 
inventory in the two categories described in subsections 
(b) and (c) are planned for treatment, and treatment has 
begun, before planning of projects described in subsections 
(d) and (e) is commenced. 
(b) ENHANCEMENT OF LATE-SUCCESSIONAL FOREST 
DEVELOPMENT.—The highest priority shall be given to 
projects involving variable density thinning treatments to 
enhance late-successional forest development in young 
managed stands in late-successional reserves. Projects 
shall avoid impacts to unstable slopes, and avoid disturb-
ance to aquatic systems and soils. All projects shall comply 
with the management guidelines for late-successional re-
serves contained in the Northwest Forest Plan, except, 
notwithstanding the 80-year age limit for late-successional 
reserve management, active management to improve forest 
health in young managed stands may occur up to 120 
years of age in a late-successional reserve. Appropriate 
thinning prescriptions for a late-successional reserve shall 
be site-specific to individual young managed stands, tak-
ing into account factors such as the slope aspect, soil type, 
hydrology, geomorphology, and vegetation composition of 
the site. 
(c) IMPROVEMENT OF YOUNG MANAGED STANDS.—
The second highest priority shall be given to projects in-
volving thinning in young managed stands designated for 
timber production in the matrix designed to increase the 
objectives of future timber production or enhanced habi-
tat, or both objectives. 
(d) TESTING OF INNOVATIVE MANAGEMENT TECH-
NIQUES AND STRATEGIES.—An administrative unit may 
plan and implement silvicultural projects under this sec-
tion that test new and innovative management techniques 
and strategies in adaptive management areas under the 
Northwest Forest Plan. Projects shall avoid impacts to 
unstable slopes, streams, and soils, as defined in the