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

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.

It is time to take a stand. And it is time for action.

While long-term active forest management will protect all of us over the long-run, we have to protect our people and our assets today.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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…

How could we let this happen to our rural forested communities?

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.

I recognize my colleagues from Oregon, Peter DeFazio and Kurt Schrader, for working together with me and others, as we work to deal with this problem.

Thank you Chairman Hastings for holding today's hearing and for including my legislation, H.R. 818, the Healthy Forest Management and Wildfire Prevention Act.

No is not an answer. It is time to have so called skin in the game from everyone.

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

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

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

I am committed to doing anything needed here in Congress to ensure the 4FRI's success.

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.

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

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?

This is ridiculous, and I am unwilling to say that we cannot fix it.

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

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