George French | Oppose HB219

Hello, my name is George French; I am writing in opposition of HB219. I am an owner and managing partner of Meadowsend Timberlands (New London, NH.) We own and actively manage about 35,000 acres of working timberland In NH and VT, and also manage another 70,000 acres of client owned land. All of our company land is managed sustainably on a rotational harvest schedule, based off of a prescription made by our in house foresters. The ability to harvest low grade timber drastically impacts our management. It is often imperative to harvest low grade timber in order to conduct timber stand improvement operations which aid forest health by increasing biodiversity and vigor. Without an economically viable outlet for low-grade wood, harvests are often differed or even canceled. Aside from the obvious cash flow strains this creates for our company; it also has a down stream impact on loggers, truckers, and mills, and all of the surrounding industry which is so vital to the state. The effect of eliminating RPS is two fold as it will likely place strain on biomass power producers, and also reduce incentives for the use of biomass heating boilers. Both of which consume chips produced from low grade timber harvests. As a large land owner the impacts of eliminating RPS will force us to completely rethink our management practices, and seek alternative revenue sources; there are not many options. Currently all of our lands are kept open to the public for recreation (hunting fishing hiking etc) one of the options we have as a company is to restrict access and create a pay to play model. This is goes directly against the traditional land use culture of New Hampshire and would obviously be a very unpopular model, however these are the sort of decisions we as landowners are forced to consider as the legislature continues to create a more and more putative environment for the timber business. Hb219 would be one more nail in the coffin for the future of the timber business and working forests in New Hampshire. I ask anyone who cares about the future of our industry to please oppose.