Lisa Murkowski

Obviously it's of great importance to all of us that we wrestle with the O and C issue.

There's no constitutional right to a 5-year delay and just have delay after delay after delay.

I think in your initial comments you mentioned that it's your sense that within the Forest Service currently there is perhaps too much focus on restoration rather than on the economy itself.

When I think, this goes to your point, Mr. Chairman, and that Senator Risch raised which is, you know, every acre of forest is not the same.

But we still haven't gotten to the point where we're seeing more timber actually being harvested.

Let us, as a State, manage our own forests.

The uncertainty that we see. The litigation that follows.

We're starting to see them in the questions.

OK, so July 1 we should see the record of decision.

The fact that unfortunately, too often, we have this one size fits all mentality here.

We have to make sure that they do not bury our communities.

In the Tongass, on average right now, we are harvesting just 35 million board feet which is really unacceptable in my view.

I think far too often we see policies that really do restrict or limit that.

Southeast Alaska is now and has historically been a resource dependent economy directly tied to the Federal land that dominates it.

I look forward to a rigorous discussion about the Federal policies and management practices on our Federal lands that are affecting the timber harvest.

I agree wholeheartedly with you on the importance of increasing the timber harvest on our Federal lands.

I think you've got the commitment of your 2 Oregon Senators to make this happen

I think it is important for all those that are gathered here to recognize that what you're seeing here with the very broad list of participants around the table.

I firmly believe that the Klamath River Basin will serve as a model of what can be accomplished when communities historically divided by competing interests recognize the most important interest of all, our shared future.

Our process here, our way forward, has been one where we roll up our sleeves and we tackle the tough things.

I just might add that the concerns that I am hearing from those who weighed in and gave that public comment is that they do not feel that they have been heard on it.

This would have a devastating impact on the economy of the Fairbanks and the interior region.

Unemployment would rise from where we are now at 6.2 percent to an unacceptable level of 8.9 percent.

I have described this as a back door BRAC.

The Hmong fighters' sacrifice on behalf of America calls for reciprocal honor paid during the latter years of these veterans lives.