Political Quotes

“Recently I visited the Tionesta Research Natural Area of the Allegheny National Forest. This old-growth area is home to many 600-year-old hemlock trees. During this visit, Mr. Speaker, I spoke to forestry officials about efforts to fight the woolly adelgid. I even applied a treatment designed to combat the invasive insect to one of these massive trees. Mr. Speaker, many States are involved in the effort to fight the adelgid, which originated in Japan and was first found in the United States in the early 1950s. It can kill a hemlock tree within a few years after it becomes infested. In 2012, I teamed with Federal researchers and those from my alma mater, Penn State University, at a forum I hosted to discuss efforts to save our State tree, the Eastern Hemlock. As the chairman of the Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee, I am proud Pennsylvanians are among those leading the way in fighting this disease and protecting our forests and the economic stimulus that these forests provide both through timber and through tourism, making sure that these magnificent trees which have stood for centuries will stand tall for future generations. Special Needs Trust Fairness Act”