John Chenoweth: “the 1998 appropriations bill will fund the reconstruction of 160 miles of damaged Forest Service roads. Through the…”

“the 1998 appropriations bill will fund the reconstruction of 160 miles of damaged Forest Service roads. Through the purchaser credits program an additional 2,000 miles of roads will be reconstructed. Reconstruction will protect riparian systems, provide access for forest health projects, and wildfire prevention. The Kennedy-Porter amendment will eliminate these programs, including reconstruction, which will lead to an overall demise of the resource. By effectively eliminating the roads program, the Kennedy-Porter amendment will seal the fate of thousands of small timber companies and businesses that depend upon the Forest Road Program. Mr. Chairman, I find two very interesting common threads running with the sponsors of the Porter-Kennedy amendment. None of the sponsors that are from the Republican side, anyway, and I do not believe the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy], have any forest roads in their district. They do not serve on any of the natural resources subcommittees. Furthermore, I find it interesting, these same individuals will debate strenuously for a subsidy to the NEA, $99.5 million last year. They debated strenuously for a subsidy for people's pleasure. Yet, we find them all excited about road credits, which are not a subsidy. I know these are intelligent people, and I know they understand the difference between subsidies and road credits. There are no direct subsidies going from the Federal Government to timber companies.…”