George P. Radanovich: “first of all, I like to call this bill ``the good neighbor act'' even though its real name is the Gateway Communities…”

“first of all, I like to call this bill ``the good neighbor act'' even though its real name is the Gateway Communities Cooperation Act. The purpose of the bill is to make certain that small communities located just outside the Federal properties have input in the Federal land planning processes. This measure is critical to many of my constituents and important for numerous small communities throughout the country that are impacted by the Federal land management decisions. Many times they are the ones that provide solutions to Federal management problems. As someone who represents several small towns located just outside Yosemite National Park and near the Stanislaus and Sierra National forests, I know that too often these communities are left out of the process. This bill ensures that communities serving as gateways to our Nation's Federal lands, including Park Service and Forest Service properties, have a voice in that process. Gateway communities can greatly benefit or be severely harmed by the decisions of Federal land managers, so it is critical that their views are heard before land managers make final decisions. That is why H.R. 1014 encourages a more open discussion between Federal agencies and local communities. Additionally, this bill makes grants available to qualified gateway communities to provide technical assistance to local communities, allowing them to more readily participate in the Federal land planning process.”