Peter DeFazio

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I thank the panel for sitting through a long day and traveling a long way to give your testimony.

It is time for a change.

This is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Desperation is setting in.

Despite this very clear legislative mandate and the fact that these forests grow over 1.5 billion board feet of timber each year, timber harvests on these forests have ground to a near halt.

As the health of our forests continues to decline it is clear we must take meaningful steps to increase the pace of forest health treatments.

When enacted, the proposal is expected to annually generate over $100 million for county governments, over 500 million board feet of timber and thousands of new jobs in hard-hit counties throughout western Oregon.

This experience can be brought to bear to help restore the health of our national forests.

We will need a little more clarification about that, because I was very puzzled when I read the budget.

Unfortunately, either there is a misprint or a disconnect, because the table doesn't have a number for extension.

Yesterday we saw the President's budget, and they rhetorically extended the Secure Rural Schools payment.

So it is a budgetary constraint. You don't have enough money to do the projects, projects that you could do under the existing laws with no changes.

But given the fact you have that tool, what is the greatest restraint on you conducting forest health fuel reduction projects?

The discussion draft is not a perfect bill. There are parts I would change.

But there is one point about this that I think should achieve broad support beyond Oregon among my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, which is when this legislation is fully implemented, it will save the Federal Government up to $100…

In short, our bipartisan solution would designate younger, previously managed timber stands for sustainable timber production to be managed by a public board under Federal laws, as they apply to private and State forests.

These lands are unique and they require a unique solution.

The O&C Lands are legally unique and have been at the center of expensive and complex legal challenges.

This is an important and timely opportunity for the Oregon Delegation, for rural communities and counties in Western Oregon.

It is time for action. It is time to stop talking about principles and concepts, and start moving forward with specific legislative ideas.

We need to provide for a sustainable solution that serves our forests, our communities, and our counties better.

The timing is very important. I have a number of counties in Western Oregon that are on the brink of insolvency.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thanks to you and Chairman Bishop for this opportunity by granting the request to myself, Representative Schrader, and Walden for a legislative hearing on the O&C Trust, Conservation, and Jobs Act discussion…

Why wouldn't we just say we want a royalty?

I have been involved in the fight over mining reform, and I did the royalty amendment back in 1994.