Chris Sununu: “we are preparing to vote on an amendment that I think does justice to the taxpayers. It doesn't make any sense to have a…”

“we are preparing to vote on an amendment that I think does justice to the taxpayers. It doesn't make any sense to have a timber program that costs the taxpayers nearly $49 million but yields less than $1 million in revenue. Unfortunately, that is the situation we have in the Tongass. A significant portion of funding goes to building roads that support the efforts of private timber companies. I don't think it is too much to ask to simply require that those companies pay the expense of the road building themselves and not ask the taxpayers to provide that subsidy. This is a straightforward amendment. It doesn't change any designation on land. It doesn't create any new wilderness area. It doesn't create any new roadless areas. It simply says for timber operations to continue, the private timber firms must put up the money to build the roads. I am a strong supporter and will remain a strong supporter of a multiuse concept for the national forests. It makes sense because they are important places. They are places that should be able to be enjoyed for recreation hunting or fishing or snowmobiling--and they have economic uses as well. Where the taxpayers are concerned, where Federal funds are concerned, we need to be a little bit more cautious, especially in a time when we have $300 or $350 billion deficits. Spending nearly $49 million, which was the tally in fiscal year 2004, for a program that yields revenues of $800,000 doesn't make any sense.…”