Bob Dole: “the timber and salvage issue has been subjected to confusing direction from the Clinton administration. After first…”

“the timber and salvage issue has been subjected to confusing direction from the Clinton administration. After first vetoing the bill, the President began to criticize the bill. This constantly changing position of this administration on this bill hardly contributes to a solution on what has become a needed resolution both for environmental concerns as well as economic. The repeal of this amendment would stop ongoing salvage sales, creating numerous new court challenges and lawsuits. During regulatory reform this problem was noted to be a significant concern of our friends across the aisle. Now however, it is a acceptable requirement. Second, as Senator Craig has pointed out, the emergency salvage law is necessary for jobs and forest health. As the amount of dead and dying trees increases, so dies the threat of wildfires. The lack of access to this timber results in lost jobs. The Clinton forest plan is not working. The amount of timber being produced is far below what the President promised and jobs continue to be lost. The Forest Service has produced very little salvage volume. The only volume that is really being produced under this provision are in the area covered by section 318, timber that was previously sold. Yet the President wants to hold up the sale of this timber as well. If this law is repealed the liability of the Federal Government increases, jobs will be lost, the environment threatened and a bureaucratic nightmare is created.”