Public Lands and Forests Legislation Hearing
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S. HRG. 111–730 PUBLIC LANDS AND FORESTS LEGISLATION HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS AND FORESTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION TO S. 3294 S. 3310 S. 3313 JUNE 16, 2010 ( Printed for the use of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 62–594 PDF WASHINGTON : 2010 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, http://bookstore.gpo.gov. For more information, contact the GPO Customer Contact Center, U.S. Government Printing Office. Phone 202–512–1800, or 866–512–1800 (toll-free). E-mail, [email protected]. COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES JEFF BINGAMAN, New Mexico, Chairman BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska RON WYDEN, Oregon RICHARD BURR, North Carolina TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas MARIA CANTWELL, Washington JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, Arkansas ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont JIM BUNNING, Kentucky EVAN BAYH, Indiana JEFF SESSIONS, Alabama DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan BOB CORKER, Tennessee MARK UDALL, Colorado JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire ROBERT M. SIMON, Staff Director SAM E. FOWLER, Chief Counsel MCKIE CAMPBELL, Republican Staff Director KAREN K. BILLUPS, Republican Chief Counsel SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS AND FORESTS RON WYDEN, Oregon, Chairman TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho MARIA CANTWELL, Washington JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, Arkansas JEFF SESSIONS, Alabama MARK UDALL, Colorado BOB CORKER, Tennessee JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire JEFF BINGAMAN and LISA MURKOWSKI are Ex Officio Members of the Subcommittee (II) C O N T E N T S STATEMENTS Page Crapo, Hon. Mike, U.S. Senator From Idaho ........................................................ 4 Dart, Bill, Representative, Idaho Recreation Council ........................................... 23 Edoff, Scott, South Dakota Rancher, Hermosa, SD .............................................. 43 Ensign, Hon. John, U.S. Senator From Nevada .................................................... 6 Holtrop, Joel, Deputy Chief, National Forest System, Forest Service, Depart- ment of Agriculture .............................................................................................. 14 Johnson, Hon. Tim, U.S. Senator From South Dakota ........................................ 1 Johnson, Rick, Executive Director, Idaho Conservation League, Boise, ID ........ 29 O’Brien, Dan, South Dakota Rancher, Hermosa, SD ........................................... 40 Reid, Hon. Harry, U.S. Senator From Nevada ...................................................... 22 Risch, Hon. James E., U.S. Senator From Idaho .................................................. 3 Rountree, Carl, Director, National Landscape Conservation System, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior ............................................ 10 Simpson, Hon. Michael K., U.S. Representative From Idaho .............................. 8 Sisolak, Steve, Commissioner, Board of County Commissioners, Clark County, NV ......................................................................................................................... 19 Thune, Hon. John, U.S. Senator From South Dakota .......................................... 7 APPENDIXES APPENDIX I Responses to additional questions .......................................................................... 51 APPENDIX II Additional material submitted for the record ........................................................ 53 (III) PUBLIC LANDS AND FORESTS LEGISLATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2010 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS AND FORESTS, COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:35 p.m. in room SD–366, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Ron Wyden pre- siding. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. TIM JOHNSON, U.S. SENATOR FROM SOUTH DAKOTA Senator Johnson [presiding]. Senator Wyden will be here shortly, but asked me to start this hearing in his absence. The purpose of this hearing is to consider three bills pending be- fore the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. They are S. 3294, the Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act, sponsored by Senators Crapo and Risch. S. 3310, my legislation, to designate certain wilderness areas in South Dakota. S. 3313, the Sloan Hills Withdrawal Act, sponsored by Senators Reid and Ensign. Several of our colleagues have asked to speak on these bills today. In addition we have representatives from the BLM and For- est Service and a panel of five witnesses from South Dakota, Ne- vada and Idaho testifying this afternoon. So we have a lot of ground to cover in a limited amount of time. I’d like to take a few minutes to speak on S. 3310. Then following that, recognize Senator Barrasso for any opening statement he would like to make. I thank Senator Wyden for holding today’s hearing and the op- portunity to consider landmark legislation protecting America’s Great Plains grasslands. I want to welcome Dan O’Brien and Scott Edoff. Thank them for taking the time to travel to Washington, DC, to share their perspectives on these important matters. In May I introduced the Tony Dean Cheyenne River Valley Con- servation Act to establish the first grasslands wilderness area in the U.S. and provide the public with a unique experience to enjoy these public lands. These lands are already managed as wilderness. The Cheyenne River Valley and the Buffalo Gap National Grass- land includes some of the finest prairie wilderness in the U.S. Lo- cated among isolated buttes and the wide Cheyenne River Valley these lands remain undisturbed in the form that the native people, who first inhabited these lands long ago would recognize. (1) 2 The effort to protect these ancient lands is citizen driven and buttressed, by the support of groups representing over 100,000 South Dakotans. In 2002 the U.S. Forest Service under the Bush Administration recognized the value of part of wilderness in the Buffalo Gap and recommended certain lands for inclusion in the National Wilderness Prevention System. I have heard from a num- ber of people regarding wilderness over the years. Sportsmen have contacted me describing the unique experience of hunting in areas far from the reaches of modern civilization. They talk about experiencing hunting as previous generations did and wanting to pass along that experience to their kids and grandkids. I have also heard from conservationists about the value of this area for native prairie plants and wildlife. Others have pointed to the potential economic benefits of wilderness as these outstanding lands draw in travelers who in turn contribute to the regional economy. My bill is a modest proposal, less than 10 percent of the lands in the Buffalo Gap National Grassland. I have made several com- promises that will enhance the public enjoyment while allowing for common sense management and respect for ranchers holding per- mits to run cattle on these lands. Grazing is an important compo- nent of the grassland ecosystem and this wilderness legislation en- sures continuation of grazing for those who have made their living off these lands. Sound management and long standing restrictions on motorized travel have preserved the outstanding natural quality of these areas. My legislation provides the Forest Service the tools to man- age the lands to maintain their character in perpetuity. The bill al- lows for the control of fire, insects and invasive species. It also en- sures that the Forest Service can continue to appropriately manage prairie dog populations on these lands. In most respects I have followed the Forest Service recommenda- tions in the purpose of preserving important access to the areas. I am pleased that the Forest Service supports this legislation. By designating a portion of the Cheyenne River Valley as wilderness it is possible to protect its undeveloped character from encroaching motorized recreation while providing hunters, rock collectors, campers and hikers a new way to enjoy prairie grasslands. In closing I want to share with the committee why I came to name this bill in recognition of my long time friend and great advo- cate for South Dakota’s open spaces, the late Tony Dean. It is his words in describing the purposes of creating a grasslands wilder- ness bill that I turn to for the best explanation for why this bill is necessary. Tony said that, ‘‘let’s relate wilderness from the per- spective of a hunter. It does not take a rocket scientist among hunters to recognize that once the opening salvo takes place on opening morning of the big game seasons no matter where you live the best hunting is almost always found far from the nearest road.’’ That sentiment is what, in part, this legislation is aimed at cre- ating. A place where the public and future generations can enjoy a unique wilderness experience found in a few places outside my great State of South Dakota. Before turning to the first panel of witnesses, let me recognize Senator Risch. 3 STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES E. RISCH, U.S. SENATOR FROM IDAHO Senator RISCH. Thank you very much, Senator. Welcome every- one. We’re here today to hear about three proposals. The one, of course, most interest to me is S. 3294 which is the CIEDRA,