As the principal author of CIEDRA, I feel it is appropriate to respond to you directly.

I know that it's possible.

I'm interested more in hearing on the procedural basis, how we get to the consensus that we need.

We appreciate the efforts of the Committee leadership and Senator Crapo in reshaping those earlier versions of CIEDRA.

You have always been up front with me regarding your opposition to additional wilderness in Idaho.

Like you, Mr. Chairman, I believe that public land management issues require locally based, collaborative efforts in order to find true, sustainable, solutions to the many challenges we face.

The effort to protect these ancient lands is citizen driven and buttressed, by the support of groups representing over 100,000 South Dakotans.

We too, have traveled this path of collaborative conservation on the Owyhee Canyon lands.

We have to undertake these efforts together in a consensus based manner. If we do not, we will never find our way forward.

I also thank Chairman Bingaman and Ranking Member Murkowski for working with me and Senator Risch on this bill.

I thank Senator Wyden for holding today's hearing and the opportunity to consider landmark legislation protecting America's Great Plains grasslands.

I appreciate your taking the time to comment regarding your concerns with S.3294, the Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act (CIEDRA), as introduced by our Senators.

Congressman Simpson deserves a tremendous amount of gratitude of the people of the State of Idaho.

These things are difficult, but not impossible.

In May I introduced the Tony Dean Cheyenne River Valley Conservation Act to establish the first grasslands wilderness area in the U.S.

This amendment includes Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as part of the Federal budget as long as either of these two institutions is under conservatorship or receivership. I wish to thank Senators Gregg, Shelby, McCain, and Vitter, Hutchison…

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I appreciate the chairman's remarks and willingness to work on this amendment. We are both trying to get at the same thing. I believe we can work out the questions with regard to the language so we can move forward in a fashion that will…

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In 2008 Senator Crapo convened the Clearwater Basin Collaborative and continues to play a key role in fostering dialogue to address the natural resource challenges of this spectacular landscape.

The collaborative model--which requires all parties to come to the table and be willing to compromise--has proven successful and will continue to do so.

Senseless fighting over the management of our treasured natural resources can be a thing of the past.

the two health care bills, the one the President has already signed into law plus this one we are considering will spend another $2.6 trillion over the next 10 years. In order to pay for it, one of the things that these bills include is…