Political Quotes

“has it become politically incorrect to cut a tree, or even to walk in the woods? I don't think we want to go down that path. But then, if this amendment passes, we may not have a path to go down at all. My State of Idaho is 63 percent Federal land, and the majority of that is Forest Service. Not surprisingly, timber is a major industry in the State, and outdoor recreation is growing. Both depend on access to these Federal lands. Mr. President, 97 percent of the roads on Federal forest land are open for recreational use. That includes camping, hiking, hunting, fishing--activities which a recent study by the administration found make up three-fourths of all the use of Federal land. Take away the roads and you take away the public's ability to access their Federal lands, and the economic diversity that recreation provides to rural western communities. Besides recreation, those roads provide access for environmental management--to, among other things, monitor wildlife, and bring wildlife under control. Without the budget to construct or reconstruct these roads, managers will lose vital access. There is also the danger that these roads will become unstable, and pose an environmental threat to watersheds. Do we have too many roads on Federal land? That is a good question-- how many is too many?…”