III. INTERNATIONAL TRADE:

The United States is the largest importer of wood products in the world.

In 1984, the value of all wood and wood-based products imported into the U.S. totaled more than $12 billion. We also export wood products, and in 1984 the value of exports exceeded $7 billion. Achievement of a more favorable position in the forest products trade requires that we develop more complete information on the economic behavior of the international trade markets and on other factors which enhance or detract from the acceptability of American wood products abroad. The Forest Service is working toward these ends, both through its research program and cooperatively with the Foreign Agriculture Service.

The research component of our international trade program has three main parts: 1) economic studies of trends and factors influencing world trade in wood products, 2) wood utilization studies, and 3) insect and disease research. We are developing analytical models to gain a better understanding of the economic and institutional operations of the various foreign forest products markets. These models will provide information on markets which have potential impacts on domestic industries and on domestic forest resources.

The risk of importing potentially devastating insects or diseases has great impact on wood products trade. Dutch elm disease and chestnut blight were both introduced into the United States on imported wood products with catastrophic impact on our domestic forest resources. Similarly, other countries fear introducing oak wilt and the pine nematode with U.S. wood products. Part of our work on international trade is to investigate effective and lower cost procedures to test for the presence of diseases that can be transmitted in imported and exported forest products.

Foreign market acceptance of forest products produced in the United States is sometimes hampered by differences in the grading and product standards between the United States and the potential importing country. To alleviate this prob1em, the Forest Service has begun research on the comparability between the product standards among trading partners. We are also beginning to develop prototype products that use more readily available forest resources than those currently demanded in the export markets.

In addition to research, we are cooperating closely with the Foreign Agriculture Service and private associations such as the National Forest Products Association to make U.S. wood products better known in international markets. Our major role is to provide technical information on wood products for export market seminars organized for foreign importers.

That completes my prepared testimony. I would be happy to elaborate on any points and to answer any questions that the Subcommittee may have.

UAS

Enclosed is information on United States participation in the UNESCO Biosphere
Reserve system which I agreed to submit for the record at your October 8
hearing on Federal assistance to other Nations on natural resource issues. I
would also like to take this opportunity to describe Forest Service research
on atmospheric deposition in keeping with the recommendations of the 1984
Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Environment, which received frequent mention
during the hearings.

Enclosed is a map of all the Ecological Research Areas in the United States
published in 1985 and current to 1983. Only minor changes have occurred since
then. The map includes the 45 areas formally designated as Biosphere
Reserves, of which 16 are managed by the Forest Service. It also includes
other similarly protected areas designated as National Environmental Research
Parks (5 total, none Forest Service), Experimental Forests and Ranges (88
total, primarily all Forest Service), Experimental Ecological Reserves (96
total, 26 Forest Service), and Research Natural Areas (425, 143 Forest
Service).

Since our testimony, we have reviewed the conclusions and recommendations of the Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Environment held in Nairobi in November 1984. The recommendations are comprehensive and wide-ranging and allow for ample implementation on the part of the Forest Service. One area in particular which received much attention in the report, and which I would like to highlight is atmospheric deposition. The Forest Service is addressing the question of air pollution and atmospheric deposition effects on forests in the following ways:

1. In cooperation with the U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency and forest industries, the Forest Service has initiated a comprehensive research and assessment program on the potential effects of acidic deposition on U.S. forests. This program will have '86' funding of about $15 million.

FS 6200-11 (880)

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

The Forest Service provides the leadership for all terrestrial effects research for the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (which comprises the Federal acid rain research program in all agencies).

The Forest Service has a watershed research program addressing the
effects of acidic deposition on the chemistry of surface waters.

The Forest Service has agreements with Canada and the Federal
Republic of Germany to cooperate on research projects and forest
damage surveys.

Forest Service scientists participate in international symposia,
conferences, and workshops to help ensure quick and effective
communication on the progress being made in understanding this
problem worldwide. This cooperation includes direct participation in
the European Economic Community program to determine the economic
effects of air pollution on European forests.

The Forest Service initiated an Air Pollution Study Group as part of
the FAO North American Forestry Commission with Mexico, the United
States, and Canada.

I hope you find this information on our ecological research areas and atmospheric deposition research useful. We would be pleased to provide any further details that you may need.

Sincerely,

ROBERT E. BUCKMAN

Deputy Chief for Research

Advisory
Council On
Historic
Preservation

The Old Post Office Building

1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW #809

Washington, DC 20004

STATEMENT OF JOHN FOWLER, DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION
COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 8, 1985

It is a pleasure to provide the committee with an overview of the activities of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation in the area of international historic preservation. Because of the Council's unique intergovernmental and interdisciplinary membership, the Congress has entrusted the Council with certain statutory responsibilities relating to the international arena. Likewise, its public-private partnership characteristic has led the Council to take an active role in the non-governmental international activities. I will address each of these in

turn.

Section 206 of the National Historic Preservation Act authorizes the
participation of the United States as a member of the International Centre
for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property in
Rome, commonly known as ICCROM. The United States joined in 1971 and has
been active member ever since. The National Historic Preservation Act
further charges the Council with advising the Secretary of State on
official delegations to ICCROM activities. As the programs of ICCROM have
evolved, the State Department has relied on advice and recommendations from
the Council and entrusted coordination of U.S. participation to the Council.
ICCROM is a unique international preservation and conservation resource.
Established in 1959, ICCROM now has 71 member states spanning the globe.
ICCROM's modest budget of $1,541,000 is supported by a United States
contribution that was $318,673 for 1985. In return, ICCROM provides
valuable services to the worldwide preservation community and to domestic
preservation efforts in the United States. Chief among these is the
training program for specialists in conservation. This internationally
respected program deals with conservation techniques and principles; since
its inception over 1,300 preservationists have participated. Eighty of
those have come from the U.S. and many have gone on to become leaders in
the national preservation program.

Research, technical assistance and information exchange round out the
ICCROM program.

In-house and contract research has resulted in important advances in such areas as stone conservation, climate control in museums and conservation of art works. ICCROM provides its members with a range of technical assistance literature, expert advice and equipment, a particularly critical element in developing countries. The United States has benefited from this program in such significant cases as the restoration of the West Front of the Capitol and the maintenance of the historic Spanish missions of San Antonio, Texas.