Political Quotes

“I strongly oppose the Lee amendment to repeal the Forest Legacy Program, and urge all Senators to do the same. For more than two decades, this program has led to the conservation of over 2.2 million acres of working forest lands in 49 states. The National Association of Forest Owners estimates that U.S. forests support more than 2.9 million jobs and contribute $115 billion towards the gross domestic product. Better still, the Forest Legacy Program does not use taxpayer dollars for Federal funds, but instead relies on a very small percentage of oil drilling receipts. The benefits of this program far outweigh any cost to the taxpayer, a claim that cannot be made by many other Federal programs. Repealing this program would be a tragic mistake, especially at a time when the Nation's forests are under attack from real estate development and urban sprawl, among other enemies. The U.S. is projected to lose up to 75 million acres of forest over the next half century. As forest areas are fragmented and disappear, so too do the benefits they provide. This program is essential to protect these benefits and ensure that we have a healthy environment and strong rural economies in the future. I strongly oppose this amendment and urge all Senators to do the same. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired. The question is on agreeing to amendment No. 2313.”