Peter DeFazio

I appreciate the fact that we are meeting today in the midst of a government shutdown.

We write on behalf of Trout Unlimited and its 3,600 members in Montana to sincerely thank you for scheduling a hearing on H.R. 2259.

We are willing to do anything and everything that it takes to gain this prestigious recognition...

And so this, of course, is something that I appeal to the committee's genuine sense of fairness...

But those activities cost money. Implementing the Healthy Forest Restoration Act...requires congressional appropriation.

But none of these things are happening right now thanks to this illogical, irresponsible, completely unnecessary Government shutdown.

There is common ground between Democrats and Republicans on this committee about the need for restoration to make our forests more resilient to fire.

I don't believe that we are going to go down the path of suspending all laws and judicial review to do the salvage, but salvage does have a sense of urgency about it.

The Chief wants to go in, do a thorough survey of the damage, plot the whole mosaic of the burn.

I have considerable experience with dealing with salvage.

I am disgusted with what the Park Service is doing, especially when I contrast it to what I think this new Secretary of the Interior is trying to do to add a different level of professionalism in the Department.

Our goal is both to safeguard the environment and public assets.

I haven't heard anyone object to your exemptions from any perspective.

This would be a python. This would be the tail of an alligator, where it burst through the python which attempted to devour it.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the opportunity.

So, I am trying to understand what the not detrimental to the surrounding community means.

The BIA apparently claims it is not obligated to evaluate the obvious detrimental impact on Illinois.

You can imagine the surprise of these Illinois officials when your August 23, 2013 Secretarial Determination stated, at 45, fn. 322 'Lake County and Milwaukee County responded after the comment period had run and were therefore not…

I am concerned that the BIA does not give fair consideration to the concerns of nearby Indian tribes and surrounding communities.

Yes, some of them are legislative.

It is kind of hard to drive forward looking in your rear view mirror.

I raised briefly in my opening remarks something I would like people to reflect on...

It seems that we are now pointing toward a needed statutory change because your own opinion has been found wanting by a court.

It seems to me that the interpretation of the court, if accurate, makes this very inflexible.

Both the Administration and Congress has supported, even through declining budget cycles more stock assessments.