Political Quotes

“H.R. 5151 will designate portions of the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia as wilderness, and it is my understanding that Members of Congress whose districts are affected support the bill. Although we should give considerable deference to those who have been elected to represent the people in the area, I do not necessarily agree that wilderness designation is always the wisest conservation decision we can make. Wilderness designation is the most restrictive policy we can impose on an area, and there are often far better, more creative ways to conserve our forests and other natural areas. In many instances, it is a mistake to foreclose active management options that can improve fish and game habitat, increase recreational access and lessen the severity of wildfires. And to protect our economic well-being, provide jobs for young people and protect our national security, our country is going to need continued access to the rich resources our own public lands provide. We now have over 100 million acres in wilderness areas, and we keep adding to that at a record level. And we are very close to getting to the point where that's beginning to hurt us economically at a time when we don't need more blows to our economy.”