Angie Craig: “My amendment would earmark $1 million from the Forest Service's timber sales account and direct the Secretary of…”

“My amendment would earmark $1 million from the Forest Service's timber sales account and direct the Secretary of Agriculture to charter an advisory committee, under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, to review the proposed rules and the accompanying draft environmental impact statement for the roadless area initiative. The advisory committee would be charged to provide the Secretary with advice on improving the proposed rule and the draft environmental impact statement. My amendment would further prohibit the Secretary from spending any additional appropriations under this or any other act on the further development of the roadless area rule until the Secretary has received the report of the advisory committee. Let me tell you why I am offering such an amendment. To date, the subcommittee that I chair, the Forests and Public Land Management Subcommittee, has held three oversight hearings on the roadless area initiative launched by our President last fall. I can tell the members of this committee unequivocally that this is the most slipshod rulemaking effort I have seen--the worst example--in over 20 years as a federally elected official.”