Scott Tipton

You know, and that's a great point. It is always interesting on studies to where you can find to be able to support your position.

It is absolutely imperative that Federal forest management legislation be passed by the House of Representatives and move to the Senate.

If the goal is accomplish reduced fire risk, I think that we can do that.

Significant cost. With so many of the acres of Forest Service-managed land around you, would you say that your efforts to properly manage Hinsdale County lands have been beneficial to the overall health of the forest?

Well, thank you. And again, I would like to be able to thank the two commissioners out of my district for making the trip back to Washington.

Would it be kind of a fair characterization of what I believe you are trying to say that a lock-down and lock-out approach, when it comes to responsibly treating these forests, is not appropriate, that we can better protect, actually, the…

I certainly want to applaud Chairman Hastings in regards to this bill, listening to your comments, and then just even the questions.

I am very, very concerned that these communities that need the money...

These are good, old-fashioned eastern mountain people. They will get the job done.

My folks aren't saying, 'Look, we don't recognize you all have a money problem.'

We are depopulating in eight of my counties. This is not a good thing.

It shouldn't be Groundhog Day every time the Forest Service goes to do a new restoration project and spending 70 percent of their budget on preparing these projects.

But I do hope you recognize these are not just western issues.

The Forest Service itself has admitted and made the comment we are suffering now from 100 years of mismanagement of our forests.

Irrespective of party, I think there is a real recognition that our communities need to be able to play a vital role in terms of restoring health, not only to our forests, but being able to address the importance of school funding, as well.

It is really the height of insanity that people out here have to live with their poor communities, and the risk of their town burning down.

The Federal Government doesn't have the money to be out managing land. It needs to get the private sector as a partner.

I would really encourage you to revisit that particular portion of what you are doing, in terms of the budget requests, as we move forward.

From a management decision, shouldn't we prioritize, in tough economic times, where those dollars are really going?

Don't you have a job, though, truly, to manage the forests? If they burn, there is nothing to manage.

So that responsible treatment is a positive move that we need to be making.

Would you agree that responsible treatments in our forests reduce fire severity, or mitigate insect infestation?

Counties and forested communities are calling on the congress to provide them the ability to pursue the American ideal of self-reliance once more.

The O&C Counties are not interested in legislation that only pretends to solve the problem.

This is a ludicrous situation and I am unwilling to say that we can't fix this!