Maurice Hinchey: “This bill is not needed to address real problems of forest health. The Forest Service has now authority to take actions…”

“This bill is not needed to address real problems of forest health. The Forest Service has now authority to take actions that are needed, such things as prescribed burns, thinning, et cetera, where the health of the forest requires it and where there is a risk of wildfire. The bill would establish a new, cumbersome, bureaucratic administrative process that is not needed. The Forest Service financing methods and accounting systems have long been a subject of criticism. Yesterday, a joint hearing looked into those issues. What we found was that there were problems, but the Forest Service is cleaning up that mess. This bill would impede that process and make matters worse. First, it would divert money from a road and trail maintenance fund at a time when the service has a huge maintenance backlog, $10 rac{1}{2} ext{ billion}, and put it into a new recovery trust fund not subject to appropriations. The fact that that is not subject to appropriations should set off a warning bell for every Member of this House. How will that money be used? Who will scrutinize it? What is the potential for abuse and mismanagement? Under the bill, any revenue from timber sales conducted under this plan will be turned over to the States, not to the Federal Treasury. This is a giveaway of Federal resources and Federal money, money earned from land that is owned by all the people of this country.”