Steve Daines: “I respect the comments made by the gentleman from Oregon; but when we look at the State of Montana and see a 90 percent…”

“I respect the comments made by the gentleman from Oregon; but when we look at the State of Montana and see a 90 percent reduction in forest timber harvest on national forestlands, and when we hear from the Forest Service officials the number 1 issue is litigation, it is time that we put in place measures and reforms this amendment addresses, that addresses that those kind of concerns of procedural nature will not stop an entire forest project. This is a very real issue in my home State. I saw it literally firsthand when I was visiting the Pyramid sawmill in Seeley Lake, when we saw, because of, literally, a small, little procedural error on one of 14 counts, that stopped an entire timber harvest. This is getting out in front and saying, let's not let the trial lawyers and the courts control the forests. Let's let the people have control of the forests and restore the jobs that are needed and the revenue back to our schools. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time The Acting CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired. Mr. DeFAZIO. I yield myself the balance of the time. We did have a hearing on this and similar issues, and I did find common ground with folks on the other side of the aisle. We had a vigorous debate over fuel reduction 13 years ago, which ultimately resulted in a law called HFRA, and I participated in writing that law here on the House side, very much a bipartisan law with myself and Mr.…”