On the recordSeptember 13, 1999
When one looks at the totality of problems, they are tall: Runoff, the erosion control, and the declining clarity. These are the primary, but not the exclusive, problems in the basin. The appropriators removed $11.3 million from the road maintenance account. From our perspective, that is the most serious account reduction that would impact what we are talking about. The road maintenance money account has a backlog: $3.85 billion has been discussed by the Forest Service, or $431 million. I think it is a matter of priorities. Our priority is to get back the road maintenance account money. Indeed, with respect to some of the prescribed burn and other forest practices the Senator talks about, I think we are in agreement that clearly there are things that need to be done to thin out some of the underbrush. Those are taken care of in other accounts such as wildlife fire management and a forest land vegetation program.
Source
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