Ron Wyden

Senator Wyden, we appreciate the work that you and your staff have done with our group in bringing this bill to the Senate.

Senator Wyden's Oregon Eastside Forests Restoration, Old Growth Protection and Jobs Act represents a compromise.

Having a strong, viable, sustainable timber industry is key to providing jobs, to sustaining our rural communities, and to getting this restoration work done.

Collaboration is essential in getting the work done.

Bringing both sides together to craft this legislation, in my view, significantly increases its chances to succeed, and on my watch, what we seek to do is end the timber wars in my home State of Oregon.

I just want it understood that I am very open to getting any suggestions and ideas you might have.

How would you propose streamlining the appeals effort?

I think it is reflective of the fact that you and Mr. Shelk, in particular, have picked out a model that, based on the evidence, can work in the real world.

So let us see what we can do to find some kind of common ground here because it seems to me on this question of unanimity--I mean, it is almost like elections. There has never been a unanimous election.

Blessed are the peacemakers, because I think what you did in Idaho in bringing people together is very much a part of where we have an opportunity to go now in Idaho and Oregon and this subcommittee.

Senator Wyden, that you deserve tremendous credit for bringing opposing sides together to compromise and come to agreement on this legislation.

I am here today to testify in favor of S. 2895, 'the Oregon Eastside Forests Restoration, Old Growth Protection and Jobs Act of 2009' introduced by Senator Wyden.

Without that kind of collaboration, what folks in eastern Oregon showed as we tried to get this bill together, that you really get a lose-lose situation.

I am certainly encouraged, however, by the opportunity that we have got in front of us today.

The only proven method of growing--or regrowing--natural old growth forest ecosystems is for natural processes.

I think that there is certainly no disagreement, not for me or any of the panelists, on how bad the condition of the forest is.

I don't want to miss the opportunity when they agree about how to go in there and do something about the horrendous state of the forests.

I would invite you, Senator Wyden, to come and see this study and other treatments around central Oregon.

Very well said. I think ensuring that we build on something of a genuine breakthrough, as you have described, is exactly our charge, and very well stated, Dr. Johnson.

I think it is clear these are areas that we can work together on. I am interesting in working with you.

Thank you very much.

I want to again thank Senator Wyden for his leadership and strong commitment to Oregon's national forests...

Let us use these RACs, resource advisory committees, to try to get people working together.

I think we fully agree with you that on a landscape-scale basis, you can get a lot more work done.

It is not acceptable to be losing 20 to 40 Americans to avalanches and so many on Federal lands, without the agency doing what it can to predict, control, and mitigate.