On the recordJuly 24, 2024
Mr. Chair, this amendment would be detrimental to the Forest Service's ability to maintain quality fisheries and safe public drinking water. Decommissioning of roads is a critical tool in the management of the National Forest System that allows the service to remove roads that are no longer necessary and are likely to cause resource damages to the local watershed affecting fish habitat and water quality. Decommissioning is used judiciously within the National Forest System, and it is necessary for the Forest Service to ensure that the removal of the road will have little to no impact to public access or fire suppression. Often, when one road is decommissioned, another existing road is identified as the alternative access to the local area which allows access to be maintained. This is an unnecessary amendment. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose it, and I reserve the balance of my time.
