Political Quotes

“Mr. President, this summer my wife and I spent some time visiting the forests in the Rocky Mountains and we were horrified at the rate of dead and dying trees throughout the region from the mountain pine beetle epidemic. Upon returning to the Senate and visiting with my colleagues, I learned that Montana has almost 5 million acres of trees impacted by this epidemic. Additionally, Wyoming has approximately 3\1/2\ million acres also impacted by this epidemic. These forests are in dire need and we must step up and empower the Forest Service to address this looming issue. The tactic of waiting for these trees to decompose while we solve our forest management battles does not work. While we wait, the timber infrastructure which can address this problem is also dying and those jobs will be lost forever. The cost of performing timber work in the future will become more and more cost prohibitive, consuming the Forest Service budget. We must step up and help our forest communities with this problem by providing the timber industry new tools and piloting different tactics to address these red and gray forests, all while balancing the needs of conservation. We must do this while restoring these lands and setting aside other lands for future generations. I believe Senator Tester's Forest Jobs and Recreation Act accomplishes this aim by designating 666,000 acres of wilderness for hunting, fishing, and hiking.…”