Scott Tipton

It is time that we take active steps to be able to address the bark beetle epidemic and to partner with responsible stewards of our natural resources in the private sector who are willing to solve it.

Properly managing our national forests is critical to Western economies and to our livelihoods; a healthy, natural environment; and affordable, reliable power and water supplies.

Effective forest management fosters healthy forests, protects against wildfires, and safeguards the natural beauty and tourism draw the Western states provide.

So the weak American dollar is actually driving up costs to American consumers.

I do not believe that the search for new energy sources should be a zero sum game when we foster one industry to the detriment of another.

The statutory language does not limit the loan exclusion with swaps that are connected to the financial terms of a loan, nor does it require that the swap be entered into contemporaneously with a loan origination.

I thank the gentleman. When we're talking about protecting Colorado, many of our Democrat colleagues joined the amendment that I put forward, stating that the Secretary wouldn't consider but shall address local concerns. If you understand…

I have a great concern in my district for our farm and ranch community, for senior citizens on fixed incomes.

When it comes to some of the fracking issues, when you get into Colorado, at least, you have to be able to own your water.

Does the Bureau of Reclamation facilities, do those help stabilize water flows to be able to make rafting possible?

I hope that today's hearing will be a productive step in highlighting some of the shortcomings of the existing water storage regulatory framework.

There is no need to see water storage as a partisan issue.

Water storage is the precursor for multiple-use water management in arid regions such as the Third Congressional District of Colorado.

It has been bureaucratic interference out of Washington, D.C. that is driving up costs, slowing up projects.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The government does not have to tell you to care about your children?

I will do everything I possibly can to keep this regulation from ever being implemented as it is written...

Do we need the federal government? Do we need OSHA stepping in to the workplace of the family farm to be able to deal with that?

The whole idea of a notice and comment period is for us to--and we received 10,000 comments on this rule--is for us to be able to take in those comments and consider them

I come from a rural area, ag communities--that we all want to make sure that our children are safe.

I would like to point out this article I had from yesterday's Durango Herald, which is in my district.

This nation owes a deep debt of gratitude to that farm and ranch community and what it is able to provide.

We will take your admonitions, particularly with the uncertainty that we are seeing out of the EPA greatly frustrating.

The farmer, the rancher does not set their price; they pay the price, not only in terms of the sweat off of their brow but out of the limited resources that they have.

Now is not the time to saddle farmers and ranchers with higher costs and more onerous regulations that are driving them out of business.