John Chenoweth: “this is a sad day. I would think that this proposal would be funny because it is so extreme, if it were not so sad, with…”

“this is a sad day. I would think that this proposal would be funny because it is so extreme, if it were not so sad, with regards to what is actually happening in these public lands. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) tried to convince us that the plain reading of this language would affect only presently designated roadless areas. He has been here a long time, and he knows how to read law, but he also knows how to try to convince people to vote for his amendment, because he is absolutely wrong. The plain reading of the language says that it not only reaches to what has been presently designated roadless, but all public forests, all public lands, and anything else that they want to dream up, including ecosystem management plans that are now going on in the Pacific Northwest, which, by the way, affects private and State resources also. So this is very, very far-reaching. I think that this demonstrates how far and how extreme this extreme environmental movement has reached. I know the gentleman from New York was very concerned about the Sherwood Forest, and he fought very hard for that. But if this proposal were made and employed against the Sherwood Forest, he would be as upset as we are. The issue also is public access. These lands, these public lands, especially in the West, were set up for humans to also have public access for recreational purposes, but also to be able to fight fires.”