Bruce F. Vento: “I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Bryant]. Madam Chairman, it would ban all…”

“I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Bryant]. Madam Chairman, it would ban all clearcutting and all road building on the Montana national forest lands released by this bill to management by the forest plans currently in effect. Certainly I agree that clearcutting has been abused and that timber management practices in the Forest Service need to be reformed. This is a necessary and worthwhile goal. To further this goal I held a hearing on H.R. 1164, Mr. Bryant's bill to ban clearcuts nationwide and held 2 days of hearings in February on reforming the Forest Service. The Montana Wilderness bill, However, is not the appropriate vehicle to try to reform the Forest Service timber management program. The purpose of this bill is to designate wilderness, wilderness study areas and special management areas such as national recreation areas. Its scope does not include the timber management program. Attaching this provision to the wilderness bill would do more damage than good.”