Political Quotes

“on behalf of Senators McCain, Crapo, Risch, Heller, and myself I am pleased to introduce the Stewardship Contracting Reauthorization and Improvement Act. As we continue to search for ways to prevent future wildland fire tragedies, it is worth noting that the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, BLM, are about to lose one of their most valuable tools in that ongoing fight. The tool, known as stewardship contracting, allows the Forest Service and BLM--in collaboration with State and local governments, tribal agencies, and non-governmental organizations--to enter into contracts with public or private entities to carry out a variety of land- management projects, including those that can reduce the risk of wildland fire. Stewardship contracts have been particularly useful in Arizona. The Forest Service awarded the first such 10-year contract to the White Mountain Stewardship Project in 2004, and the largest contract, the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, began in 2012. Unless Congress acts, the authority to enter into these agreements will expire at the end of September. Our legislation would not only extend the authority for Federal agencies to enter into these agreements, but it builds on past experiences to make commonsense improvements. For example, it would give the Forest Service and BLM flexibility when establishing cancellation ceilings.…”