Trent Lott: “I express my full support for Senator Gorton's section 329. It is the right thing to do because, without it there would…”

“I express my full support for Senator Gorton's section 329. It is the right thing to do because, without it there would be a new $8 billion mandate on the Forest Service. This provision is needed because it affirms a position taken by three circuit courts and nine Federal courts. Senator Gorton's effort is necessary because it will ensure that the Forest Service and the Nation have a uniform public policy. The opponents of section 329 want to ignore the position taken by three circuit courts and nine Federal courts because they got the decision they liked from the 11th Circuit Court. There is a certain irony here. Here is an instance where environmentalists do not want a one-size-fits-all national policy. Senator Gorton's provision helps the Forest Service. It properly eliminates very expensive and completely unnecessary work by the Forest Service. Senator Gorton would allow the Forest Service to rely on sampling data regarding available habitats for the species. Opponents want the Forest Service to count the actual populations of the species--not just once, but several times to determine population trends. In each case, the three circuit courts and nine Federal courts did not buy this argument. Currently, the Forest Service has followed the Federal court decisions. It has correctly contained to inventory wildlife by habitat availability for almost two decades.”