Click here to watch Sen. Barrasso’s remarks.
WASHINGTON, DC –Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) delivered the following remarks at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on forestry legislation. He spoke specifically about his “National Forest Jobs and Management Act” (S. 1966) and how it will improve forest health and economies in rural America.
Excerpts of Senator Barrasso’s Hearing Remarks:
“I also want to welcome Clint Georg who’s going to be testifying later today and I want to thank you Senator Wyden for scheduling this hearing.
“I look forward to hearing more about your O&C bill. And I am pleased we are hearing my bill, the National Forest Jobs and Management Act.
“As Chairman, I’m appreciative that you have prioritized forestry related issues. I appreciate your emphasis on these critical issues and hope you’re going to continue to be engaged as a senior member of this committee.
“The Committee has talked at length about how our National Forest health is declining—that our forests are dangerously overgrown and suffering from severe disease and insect infestation.
“We’ve discussed the increasing severity of wildland* fire, and the escalating costs of suppression—and you mentioned that in your opening remarks. We’ve talked about how increased soil erosion, loss of wildlife habitat and species, and economic opportunities are the result of this.
“The committee recognizes timber harvest is a good thing and we need to get the ‘cut up’ to help our forests and communities get healthy again.
“We’ve heard testimony about how chronic high unemployment and the resulting financial crisis is hurting rural communities around America.
“We have seen sawmills close down—we’ve seen them lay off employees.
“The committee has examined how the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Endangered Species Act are preventing needed forest management.
“We’ve observed how the high cost of compliance with NEPA and the Endangered Species Act regulations are draining forest service budgets, they’re preventing dollars from being spent actually improving forests.
“And we’ve heard countless testimonies of litigation preventing desperately needed forest projects.
“That’s why I introduced this bill, the National Forests Jobs and Management Act.
“The primary purpose of the bill is to solve the forest health and rural community crisis.
“The Administration estimates that between 65 and 82 million acres of National Forest lands are in need of treatment.
“My bill only directs the Forest Service to treat a small percentage of that—7.5 million acres over 15 years – so it’s a fraction of what we need to do.
“This acreage only represents about less than 4 percent of the National Forest System in total.
“So to avoid resource conflicts about where timber work should be done, my bill limits the projects to lands already identified in Forest plans as suitable for timber production.
“The bill builds on the bi-partisan approach of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act by identifying high priority lands for management then utilizes streamlined procedures to comply with federal environmental laws, including NEPA.
“The bill allows forest projects to be developed and managed from the cooperative middle, not the radical extreme.
“It applies the Forest Service objections process to resolve disputes early on.
“If disputes can’t be resolved, the bill provides arbitration as a new avenue for a timely independent review of an agency decision.
“The legislation also provides counties with an extra 25 percent of the revenue collected from the forest projects.
“Additionally, increasing active management creates needed wildlife habitat, which enhances recreational hunting and wildlife viewing—these are important economic drivers in many states including Wyoming.
“I would like to submit for the record letters from the Ruffled Grouse Society, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Boone and Crocket Club, and the National Wild Turkey Federation.
“This committee has studied the issues and it is now time to act before is too late to save our treasured national forests and the local communities around them.”
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