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Tongass Timber Reform Act

Public Law 101-626 · H.R. 987 · 101st Congress · began in the House

Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Nov 28, 1990 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Rep. Robert Mrazek (D-NY-3)

Cosponsors (154): Rep. Morris Udall,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Tongass Timber Reform Act - Title I: Forest Management Provisions - Amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to require the Secretary of Agriculture to seek to provide a supply of timber from the Tongass National Forest in Alaska which meets: (1) the annual market demand for timber from such forest; and (2) the market demand from such forest for each planning cycle.

Declares that specified factors to be considered by the Secretary in the development of land management plans under the National Forest Management Act of 1976 shall apply to the Tongass National Forest, except economic factors in the identification of lands not suited for timber production.

Requires the Secretary, in order to preserve riparian habitats, to maintain buffer zones around all Class I streams (and class II streams that flow directly into a class I stream) in the Forest where commercial timber harvesting shall be prohibited. Exempts specified timber sales from this prohibition.

Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress on the need, if any, to standardize riparian management practices for Federal, State, and private lands within the Forest.

Amends the National Forest Management Act of 1976 to include National Forest System lands in Alaska within the Small Business Administration's set-aside program under which small business timber purchasers may elect to have the Forest Service build the necessary logging roads on awarded timber sales. Requires the Secretary to provide a supply of timber from the Forest which meets the demands of qualified small business purchasers.

Exempts from such provisions the purchase of timber within the Forest under the long-term timber sale contracts between the United States and the Alaska Pulp Corporation and the Ketchikan Pulp Company.

Declares that the Secretary shall not: (1) construct a vehicular access road connecting the Indian River and Game Creek roads; or (2) engage in any further efforts to connect the city of Tenakee Springs with the logging road system on Chichagof Island unless the Tenakee Springs and Hoonah city councils tell the Secretary a connecting road should be built.

Title II: Tongass National Forest Lands Protection - Amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to allocate certain lands within the Tongass National Forest to Land Use Designation II management (in a roadless state, retaining wildland character, but permitting wildlife and fish habitat improvement and primitive recreational facility development).

Designates the following lands within the Tongass National Forest as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Pleasant/Lemusurier/Inian Islands Wilderness; (2) Young Lake Addition (to be managed as a part of the Admiralty Island National Monument and the Kootznoowoo Wilderness); (3) South Etolin Wilderness; (4) Chuck River Wilderness; (5) Karta River Wilderness; and (6) Kuiu Wilderness. Requires the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees on the Kadashan LUD II Management Area with regard to: (1) its fish and wildlife resources; and (2) the need for and alternatives to a road through the Kadashan river valley.

Title III: Modification of Long-Term Timber Sale Contracts in Southeast Alaska - Directs the Secretary to make certain modifications to long-term timber sale contracts between the United States and the Alaska Pulp Corporation and the Ketchikan Pulp Company to assure that the public resources of the Forest are protected and competition within the southeast Alaska timber industry is promoted.

Requires the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees on: (1) an assessment as to whether providing the volume of timber under such modified contracts is inconsistent with other multiple uses of the Forest; and (2) the potential impacts of eliminating the two contract areas.

Title IV: Haida Land Exchange Act Amendment - Amends the Haida Land Exchange Act of 1986 to withdraw certain lands in Alaska (known as Sulzer frontage lands) from appropriation under the public laws, including the mining and mineral leasing laws, and from selection under the Alaska Statehood Act, as amended. Authorizes for a one-year period the Haida Corporation to select lands from among those lands withdrawn.

Title V: Miscellaneous Provisions - Requires the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees on the feasibility of acquiring private lands, which have been significantly harvested, within the boundary of the Tongass National Forest.

Directs the Secretary to engage in expedited negotiations during this period with Shee Atika, Inc., Atikon Inc., and Sealaska for independent voluntary exchange agreements through which the United States would acquire all of the surface estate or all of the surface and subsurface estates held by such private parties in the Lake Florence, Lake Kathleen, and Wards Creek drainages of Admiralty Islands. Makes acquisition of the Lake Florence drainage the first priority of such negotiations.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 55 actions.

  1. Nov 28, 1990Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 101-626.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 19, 1990PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 26, 1990Resolving differencesResolving differences · On agreeing to the conference report Agreed to by voice vote.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motions to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: On agreeing to the conference report Agreed to by voice vote.
  7. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Young (AK) demanded a second on the motion to suspend the rules. Without objection a second was ordered.
  8. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Miller (CA) moved to suspend the rules and agree to the conference report, H. Rept. 101-931.
  9. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the conference report.
  10. Oct 24, 1990Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  11. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  12. Oct 23, 1990Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference papers: Senate report and managers' statement official papers held at the desk in Senate.
  13. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report H. Rept. 101-931 filed.
  14. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report H. Rept. 101-931 filed.
  15. Oct 19, 1990Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  16. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  17. Oct 11, 1990Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference held.
  18. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conference held.
  19. Aug 4, 1990Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to request for conference. Appointed conferees. Johnston; Bumpers; Ford; Bradley; Wirth; McClure; Murkowski; Wallop; Garn.
  20. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference papers: message on House action held at the desk in Senate.
  21. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  22. Resolving differencesResolving differences · The chair appointed an additional conferee for consideration of the House bill, and the Senate amendment, and modifications committed to conference: Mrazek.
  23. Resolving differencesResolving differences · The chair appointed conferees - from the Committee on Agriculture for consideration of Titles I, II and IV of the House bill, and Titles I and III and section 402 of the Senate amendment, and modifications committed to conference: de la Garza, Volkmer, and Morrison (WA).
  24. Resolving differencesResolving differences · The chair appointed conferees - from the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs for consideration of the House bill, and the Senate amendment, and modifications committed to conference: Udall, Miller (CA), Sharp, Markey, Rahall, Vento, Gejdenson, Kostmayer, Young (AK), Marlen…
  25. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House disagree to the Senate amendments, and request a conference Agreed to without objection.
  26. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Miller (CA) asked unanimous consent that the House disagree to the Senate amendments, and request a conference.
  27. FloorFloor · Senate insists on its amendments by Voice Vote.
  28. FloorFloor · APPOINTMENT OF CONFEREES - Without objection, the Chair reserved the right to make additional appointments at a later date.
  29. Jun 13, 1990FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments and an amendment to the Title by Yea-Nay Vote. 99-0. Record Vote No: 116.Senate roll call 116
  30. FloorFloor · Amendment SP 2020 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.