On the recordJuly 8, 2015
I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chairman, next week, we will be having other bills in front of us. We are looking forward to having the Financial Services bill on the floor next week, and I believe we will have other appropriations bills for the balance of the month. As we get back to regular order, we want to have all 12 bills brought to the floor and debated. The chairman has done a great job of moving this committee back to its historic importance in this institution, and we appreciate your continued support in that process. As I mentioned on the Forest Service funding allocations, we are continuing to work to make sure that moneys are available to fund Forest Service research and development and to make sure that the analysis and inventory program continues to be funded. The forests, we recognize, are a renewable resource. Domestically produced timber supports local communities and the U.S. industry, especially in the West. It also helps reduce fuel loads in our national forests. This is greatly needed, especially now, because these fires are burning hotter, fire seasons are growing longer, and more communities are at risk. Our forests need to be managed, Mr. Chairman. The Forest Service estimates that up to 2 million acres of land need to be actively managed. In the Rocky Mountains alone, 45 million acres have been affected by the bark beetle.…
