Tom Tiffany: “I wish the gentlewoman would have been with us on our tour in May in northern Wisconsin. She would have heard from local…”

“I wish the gentlewoman would have been with us on our tour in May in northern Wisconsin. She would have heard from local people, local elected officials, State elected officials, and others who are harmed by these road closures that are happening. The waste of tax dollars is very significant. We saw perfectly fine roads that had been constructed to do logging projects and then they were removed. We heard from a couple of elderly ladies who are berry pickers, which is a favorite pastime of many people up in northern Wisconsin at this time of year. They used to go out there and be able to pick berries now and then. They can no longer do that. This is denying access to the very people who want to use our public lands that are taken care of with their tax dollars. There is no reason to close these roads. These roads have been active, oftentimes for decades, with no problems, and it is not rational to use the argument that this is going to harm the watershed. If you come to some of the areas that we toured on our trip in May, you will see some of the finest waters that you will find in northern Wisconsin, and they were that way when these roads were active. There is no reason that we should be closing and decommissioning these roads. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.”