Adam Smith: “I rise in opposition to the Yates amendment. Mr. Chairman, this bill is the best news my constituents have heard in a…”

“I rise in opposition to the Yates amendment. Mr. Chairman, this bill is the best news my constituents have heard in a long time--cutting Government and putting people back to work. In the State of Washington, the spotted owl has caused 50 lumber mills to close since 1989, dislocating thousands of workers. Now, help is on the way. This bill is going to put people back to work in economically depressed areas like Grays Harbor County. A sawmill owner there informed me that this bill will free up enough timber to put 50 people immediately back to work. This bill is also good news for small timber towns in my district like Morton, Randle, and Packwood. Mills in these towns travel thousands of miles for wood when there is salvage timber right down the road. Do not be misled by those who claim we are going to harm the environment or small critters if we salvage this timber. In many cases we are just taking timber that was blown down in storms and has been on the ground for several years just rotting away. So let us improve the health of our forests and put people back to work at the same time. I urge my colleagues to reject any effort to remove the timber salvage provisions from this bill.”