CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE December 5, 2000
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26240 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE December 5, 2000 and that the meetings were just a smoke FLORENCE COUNTY FORESTRY AND SHAWANO, WI, November 29, 2000. screen to make us believe we were getting PARKS, NATURAL RESOURCES CEN- DEAR REPRESENTATIVE MARK GREEN: I have input. TER, been reading, with growing concern, about Florence, WI, November 30, 2000. the Administration’s efforts to restrict the In looking at the job loss numbers, I be- To: Representative Mark Green. use of our public lands and waterways. While lieve they aren’t accurate. I feel this because From: David S. Majewski, Administrator, I applaud the government’s desire to ensure every job lost has a trickle down effect that Florence County Forestry & Parks, Flor- that our natural resources are there for fu- travels through the whole community and ence, Wisconsin. ture generations to enjoy, unilaterally cut- the whole state. Subject: Federal Roadless Initiative. ting off access to these lands is misguided, As I understand there is a need to com- wrong and in some cases, dangerous. The summary also states on page S–27 that ment on the proposed ‘‘Roadless Initiative’’ For example, if the goal of the Forest Serv- timber production has been reduced from 12 and send the comments to your office. ice Roadless Initiative is to preserve these Billion board feet in 1987 to 3 Billion board The present Administration is trying to lands for our children and grandchildren to feet in 1999. This disturbs me because these ram through an effort on behalf of the ‘‘pres- enjoy by not building roads and trails into areas are already greatly effected by the dra- ervationists’’ that will affect many people these areas, how can they be expected to matic reduction already put in place through and communities. Most of the people in this enjoy them when they cannot get to them? the last 12 years. Many of these areas are group live far away from the lands that are By definition, the lands and adjacent wa- mere skeletons of what they were in the proposed in this effort and it does not impact terways maintained by the federal land man- times of proper forest management. The their day to day lives or affect their liveli- agement agencies are public lands. They are hood. maintained with funds provided by tax dol- western states are fine examples of this. The This proposal is a smokescreen, to create lars as well as entrance and user fees. Yet, Forest Service’s idea to fix the problem is to more wilderness in the very near future. It is the public, as well as Congress, governors, throw money at the problem. This is never a an attempt to stop timber management in local land managers and fire and rescue per- way to fix a problem. (The plan is described these areas. It will affect the economy of sonnel, were not involved in the creation of on page S–10.) The way to fix the problem, is many communities surrounding these Na- these policies. Much of the Forest Service to not create it in the first place. This could tional Forests. It will also cause many seri- land has been statutorily designated as mul- be done by properly managing the resources ous problems for forest protection, which in- tiple-use land. By cutting off access to large we are letting go to waste. clude control of insects, disease, and fire. portions of the land in its care, the Forest The proposal is not good for the health of Service is defying a decades old congres- In closing I think we should give our forest the forests, the economy of the areas, or the sional mandate. back to foresters to manage. This means we many recreational opportunities that are Further, this type of thinking, returning should have foresters in every level of the presently available when the forests are our natural areas to what is being described Forest Service to help develop plans of ac- managed for multiple use. It is also not good as a pre-European state is very dangerous. tion, instead of people with no idea of how stewardship of the land. As you know, much of our forest land in the properly managing a forest. During a meet- The Public Forests in the Lake States western United States is burning out of con- have been managed very conservatively ing in Crandon, WI, one of the planners said, trol (in part as a result of other poorly de- since the early 1900’s, the ‘‘Early Logging this was the best way to develop a plan with signed policies). Without roads and Era’’. Keeping healthy diverse aged forests is firebreaks, the already difficult jobs of fire- public input. I feel this job should be given better for our environment than over-aged fighters and other rescue personnel would be to trained foresters, because to let the public unhealthy forests. The Forests are used by a made even more difficult, if not impossible. decide is leaving the decision to people with wide variety of recreation users and the cur- I do not believe that all public lands should no education on the subject. These people rent management provides for a sustained be available for all uses. We all share a re- are ruled by whims, not any knowledge on economy for these rural communities and sponsibility to treat our natural areas care- proper management. the Nation. The current multiple use man- fully and safely. However, if we all work to- Sincerely, agement also provides for healthy forests gether we can create a policy regarding our EDWARD PIONTEK, JR., and very good habitat for a wide variety of public lands and waterways that is fair, rea- Vice President. wildlife. Many of the present wildlife species sonable and physically and environmentally could not exist without it. safe. This initiative will: restrict if not elimi- Please help us achieve this balance for this PINE RIVER TRANSPORT, LTD., nate timber management, cause deteriora- generation and those to come. Long Lake, WI, November 30, 2000. tion of health forests, constrict all rec- Sincerely. Inventoried Roadless Area in Florence Coun- reational opportunities, and inhibit habitat KEVIN KING. ty for the majority of the present wildlife. This The 18,000 acre closure to timber cutting initiative will not preserve these Forests for f when coupled to all the other forest service future generations but will cause more envi- TRIBUTE IN MEMORY OF FORMER set asides is going to further exacerbate the ronmental damage when insects, diseases, CONGRESSMAN HENRY B. GON- and fires rage through these areas. rapid drop in volume harvested from the Thank you, for the opportunity to provide ZALEZ Nicolet National Forest. these comments. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under This in addition to the new Administration Sincerely, the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- Rules on hours and the 95% reduction in the DAVID S. MAJEWSKI. uary 6, 1999, the gentleman from Texas amount of sulfur in diesel fuel will make the (Mr. RODRIGUEZ) is recognized for 60 continued operation of this trucking com- GOODMAN FOREST INDUSTRIES, LTD., Long Lake, WI, December 1, 2000. minutes as the designee of the minor- pany very questionable, as fuel costs will Re Florence County Roadless Area ity leader. soar. I attended a meeting today of the MI–WI Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, on Good management of our National Forests Timber Producers Association and found Saturday, I paid my last respects to a can provide all the multiple use benefits that that the 18,000 acre ‘‘Roadless’’ area in Flor- man that I knew since the age of 12, a we all value so highly. At the present time ence County has been heavily logged in re- man that I respected and admired im- ‘‘Mother Nature’’ in the form of fire, wind cent years and is well roaded. mensely, Henry B. Gonzalez. I have Who is the Forest Service trying to fool on and disease has taken over the management called this special order so that we this? We in the industry believe in ‘‘multiple of the forests from the Forest Service. use’’ of our forest lands, however we can not may honor Henry B., a friend and a It is my understanding that the so called tolerate any more ‘‘lockout’’ set asides to former colleague. ‘‘Roadless Area’’ in Florence County is actu- occur. Stumpage prices are already sky- I would like to express my condo- ally fully roaded and is far from the inacces- rocketing because of the fact the Forest lences to his wife, Senora Gonzalez; my sible pristine areas referred to by Chief Service is not even offering 50% of its oper- good friend and colleague, the gen- ating plan on the Nicolet National Forest. Dombeck. tleman from Texas (Mr. CHARLES GON- Please let me know if you think Congress ZALEZ); and the entire Gonzalez family. We need some sort of common sense re- can intervene. If not, then industry will have My heart and prayers are with them in stored versus this high handed rule making no choice but to take the U.S. Forest Service this time of sorrow. of the Clinton-Gore administration. to court to stop this ridiculous set asides for- Sincerely, mation. Henry B. was one of the hardest RICHARD CONNOR, Jr. Sincerely, working men I have ever known. My fa- RICHARD KRAWZE. ther often referred to him as ‘‘El VerDate jul 14 2003 12:21 Jan 23, 2005 Jkt 029102 PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 0688 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR00\H05DE0.001 H05DE0 December 5, 2000 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE 26241 Compadre,’’ the godfather.