Doris Matsui: “our forests are a valuable natural resource. They offer beauty and recreation for many across the Nation. My own…”

“our forests are a valuable natural resource. They offer beauty and recreation for many across the Nation. My own hometown of Sacramento is but a couple of hours from Tahoe National Forest. Throughout the year, Sacramentans can be found taking advantage of this proximity, using the park for hiking, skiing and camping. With 18 national forests and 20 million acres of national forestland in my home State of California, we face the challenge of a wildfire on almost an annual basis. Many western States deal with forest fires every summer. In addition, Americas's forests also endure damage from hurricanes, floods, mudslides and our natural disasters. All of these events require swift action from our Nation's brave network of first responders as well as tailored government policies to help forests regenerate over the long term. The rule before us would authorize debate on H.R. 4200, a bill which its supporters see as a way to speed forest recovery by loosening or eliminating some Federal regulations protecting our public lands. Such a proposal demands scrutiny and debate. To warrant congressional action, there must be a demonstrable need for such a proposal and reliable proof that the proposed solution meets that need. Unfortunately, the evidence on the need for this bill points in both directions. While some sources claim that this bill would improve the state of forests, other scientific accounts indicate that H.R.…”