Political Quotes

“Over the last few months, deadly wildfires, especially in California, Arizona, and Colorado, and wildfires in other western States, have highlighted the growing problem with our current Federal forest management plans. Like all public lands, our national forests should, unless otherwise designated, be open for multiple use, for everything from recreation to job-creating economic activities; but instead, Federal regulations and lawsuits have effectively shut down our national forests. Timber harvests have dropped by 80 percent over the last 30 years in our national forests. While the Forest Service once received $2 for every $1 spent, it now spends $2 for every $1 it produces. Our Federal forests are being badly managed, and there have been devastating consequences to that management. First, rural communities are struggling to survive and no longer have stable funding to pay for vital services. The Federal Government made a promise over a century ago to actively manage our forests for the benefit of rural schools and communities. Under a Federal law passed in 1908, the U.S. Forest Service has historically shared 25 percent of all timber revenues with rural counties containing national forestland. Since the Federal Government doesn't pay local taxes, those counties depended on this revenue to help fund essential needs like schools and local infrastructure. But as timber sales declined, Mr.…”