Political Quotes

“included in the manager's amendment is an amendment, I am pleased to cosponsor this amendment with my colleague, Senator Smith, to provide an additional tool in the toolbox, if you will, for rural counties who have come under significant hardship in funding law enforcement activities covering National Forest lands. Most particularly, Mr. President, a number of Oregon counties have had their sheriff's office budgets nearly busted by the need to address illegal, occasionally violent protests related to Federal timber sales and the regular management of National Forest lands in Oregon. On nearly every timber sale protest, my office has worked very closely with the Forest Service to find help. We have literally shaken the Forest Service tree to find additional resources to help small counties deal with their heightened law enforcement needs when one of these demonstrations occurs. While the Forest Service has been helpful, it has not prevented these rural counties from incurring, in some cases, nearly their entire year's law enforcement budget on just one protracted timber protest. Federal receipts must be used by Oregon Counties in the proportion of 25 percent for schools and 75 percent for roads. This amendment simply allows counties to use surplus funds out of the share that is for roads, on law enforcement activities associated with the use of public roads of the county.”