Political Quotes

“Yesterday the Clinton administration announced the release of its revised forest management plan for the Pacific Northwest. This announcement marks the near culmination of a yearlong effort by the administration to resolve the protracted controversy in my region over forest ecosystem health. Last summer, when the plan was proposed, I came to the Senate floor to express my views on this issue. On several important points, my views have not changed. First, I believe all of us in the Northwest owe a debt of gratitude to this administration for investing an extraordinary amount of time and energy in resolving what is essentially a thorny regional conflict. Second, I want to express my strong feeling that this plan is not perfect; I am particularly concerned about its short-term economic implications. Third, I want to remind my colleagues, and the citizens of the Pacific Northwest, how little progress was made on this issue since the spotted owl was added to the Threatened/Endangered Species List in 1989.”