Political Quotes

“For too long the extremes in the debate over western forest management have dominated the stage. On one side there are those who oppose any timber harvests in our public lands, even if it is necessary to improve forest health and reduce the risk of catastrophic fires. On the other side there are those who would treat our national forests as little more than industrial tree farms, sacrificing even the most basic environmental protections in the interests of short-term profit. Last summer's western fires provided a hint of what may lie ahead. Catastrophic fires, unlike the low intensity fire regime that has been the historical norm, could devastate habitat for many declining and threatened species, including Columbia Basin salmon populations. An ecologically sensitive program of thinning, controlled burning and salvage logging is essential to restore forest health across millions of acres in the West. If done with care, such a program could improve forest conditions while providing the secondary benefit of increased fiber supplies for our region's mills. Mr. Chairman, I would have liked to offer a balanced alternative to this proposal today, but the Republican leadership would not allow it.”