Political Quotes

“My colleague from Pennsylvania, I thought, was making a wonderful argument in support of this legislation, in that you talked about the success of the Forest Legacy Program, and it really has been eminently successful. And you also talked about the demands on the program, and that's true. Many, many States want to implement this program. But you didn't mention the fact that many States don't have the resources to manage additional properties, to manage additional trusts that they've taken. This would allow those States to make a decision. It's a State decision, it's not a Federal decision, it's not a decision by a private nonprofit qualified trust. This is a decision by the State to welcome into their program a private, nonprofit, qualified trust that does this kind of work that could then manage the trust without the State having to spend the money. The State maintains oversight and, should something happen that the trust is unable to continue, it would then revert to the State. But this is a way of really expanding what, apparently, the three of us want to have happen. You mentioned another program that does exist. Wonderful. Those programs could work in unison with the Federal Government participating, the State government participating, and the private. But the problem here is that, under the Forest Legacy Program, the private, nonprofit qualified trust can't participate in that program. I reserve the balance of my time.”