Angie Craig: “yesterday was the 100th anniversary of the passage of the Forest Service's Organic Act, so it is an appropriate time to…”

“yesterday was the 100th anniversary of the passage of the Forest Service's Organic Act, so it is an appropriate time to reflect on how recent Congresses have addressed Forest Service issues. Let me also say to my colleagues, yesterday had sent to each one of your offices a book by Douglas MacCleery called ``The American Forests: A History of Resiliency and Recovery.'' During the 104th Congress, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee conducted the first extended series of oversight hearings on the management of our Federal forests in almost 20 years. As these hearings proceeded, we also consulted with experts in the field of forestry management, participated in and evaluated the results of the Seventh American Forest Congress, and asked the General Accounting Office and others to evaluate the current state of the management of our national forests. As a consequence of these efforts, we have formed some conclusions about the management of our national forests, and today I would like to share these with my colleagues. Notwithstanding considerable contemporary controversy, the Forest Service remains a top performer among Federal agencies.”