Congressional Record United States of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 106Th CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 106th CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 146 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, MAY 23, 2000 No. 65 House of Representatives The House met at 9 a.m. The Los Alamos fire was a so-called gether. Environmental extremists have f controlled burn set by Federal bureau- had such an impact that many school- crats that simply got out of control. Of children have almost been brainwashed MORNING HOUR DEBATES course, we all know that no Federal bu- about these things. They never hear The SPEAKER. Pursuant to the reaucrat has ever made a mistake, or the other side. If I went to any school order of the House of January 19, 1999, at least one that they have been held in Knoxville and told them I was the Chair will now recognize Members accountable for. against cutting any trees in the na- from lists submitted by the majority The leading environmental extrem- tional forests, they would probably and minority leaders for morning hour ist, Secretary Babbitt, said on tele- think that was a really good thing. debates. The Chair will alternate rec- vision last week that our forests are They never stop to think that we have ognition between the parties, with each now 100 times more dangerous than to cut trees if we want to build houses party limited to not to exceed 25 min- they were 100 years ago, but it is be- or furniture, or have books, news- utes, and each Member except the ma- cause of the very policies that he has papers, toilet paper, and many, many jority leader, the minority leader or been advocating. If we do not start cut- other products. the minority whip limited to not to ex- ting more trees in the national forests Also, it we keep limiting and re- ceed 5 minutes, but in no event shall soon, then in the very near future we stricting where and how trees are cut, debate continue beyond 9:50 a.m. are going to see forest fires that make it will drive the prices for homes and f the Los Alamos disaster look like pea- many other items much higher than nuts in comparison. they already are. Even now, lumber WE MUST USE OUR NATURAL RE- Yet some of these environmental ex- dealers tell me they are having to im- SOURCES IN AN ENVIRON- tremists want the forests to be thinned port all kinds of Canadian lumber be- MENTALLY BALANCED WAY only by forest fires because that is the cause we have cut out or halted so The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. ``natural way,'' and the way it occurred much U.S. lumber production. MORAN of Kansas). Under the Speaker's before man started populating the When extremists get our lumber pro- announced policy of January 19, 1999, Earth, and, according to the extrem- duction in our national forests reduced the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. ists, messed things up. so drastically, it helps big businesses DUNCAN) is recognized during morning Last year in the subcommittee we and other countries, but it destroys hour debates for 5 minutes. were told that the Congress in the mid jobs and drives up prices in this coun- Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, the for- 1980s passed what was then proclaimed try. The people it hurts the most are est fires in Los Alamos and Nevada as a great pro-environment law that we the lower-income and working people have highlighted what may have be- would not allow cutting of more than in this country. come a much bigger problem. One of 80 percent of the new growth in the na- I know most of these environmental the subcommittees on which I serve is tional forests. Since then, we have re- extremists come from very wealthy the Subcommittee on Forest and For- peatedly reduced that percentage, stop- families, and I know they are more or est Health of the Committee on Re- ping it altogether in some places. From less insulated from the harm that they sources. the pro-environment law of 80 percent do. But I think it is really sad that We heard testimony a few months 15 or 16 years ago, we now allow har- they destroy so many jobs and drive up ago that almost 40 million acres of vesting of less than one-seventh of the prices for so many people who really Federal land out West was in imminent new growth in our national forests. cannot afford it. danger of catastrophic forest fires. This National forests have about 23 billion I am not talking about cutting any is because environmental extremists board feet of new growth each year. trees in our 356 national parks, I am fanatically, sometimes even violently, Today we cut less than 3 billion board talking about cutting trees in our na- oppose cutting any trees in our na- feet, or only about 12 or 13 percent of tional forests so they can grow and be tional forests. the new growth. There are about 6 bil- healthy and keep lumber prices down. Forestry experts tell us that we have lion board feet of dead or dying trees in Our national forests cover 191 million to cut some trees to have healthy for- the national forests, yet these extrem- acres. I know when people look at a ests, yet some of these extremists op- ists will not even permit the removal map of the United States on one page pose even the removal of dead and of these dead trees. in the book, the country looks small. dying trees, thus causing huge fuel Now we are cutting less than half of Yet, 191 million acres is equal to about buildups on the floors of these forests, the dead and dying trees, and unbeliev- 325 Great Smoky Mountain National leading to forest fires. ably, some people want it stopped alto- Parks. Most people who go to the Great b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H3527 . VerDate 24-MAY-2000 06:28 May 24, 2000 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A23MY7.000 pfrm06 PsN: H23PT1 H3528 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE May 23, 2000 Smokies think it is huge. Yet I am during morning hour debates for 5 min- destrians, yet only 1 percent of the talking about forests that cover more utes. highway safety money from the Fed- than 300 times the Great Smokies, and Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, my eral government is used for pedestrian this does not count any of the land in goal in Congress is for the Federal gov- safety. our national parks or the land the Bu- ernment to be a better partner in mak- It is important for us to use the tools reau of Land Management controls. ing our communities more livable, to that we have available, that we are The Federal government owns over 30 make our families safe, healthy, and sensitive to putting people into the percent of the land in this Nation economically secure. planning process to make our commu- today. State and local governments One of the indicator species of a liv- nities more livable and make our fami- and quasi-governmental agencies own able community is the pedestrian. Ear- lies safer, healthier, and economically another 20 percent. Half of the land is lier this week, people in Montgomery secure. in some type of public ownership. County were shocked, I am sure, to f What is most disturbing, though, is read that in their community pedes- KOSOVO AND BOSNIA how government at all levels has been trian deaths were as high as homicides. taking over private land at such a In 1998 and 1999, 25 people were killed in The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under rapid rate in the last 30 years, and per- pedestrian accidents, the same as those the Speaker's announced policy of Jan- haps even more dangerous, putting so that were killed in homicides. uary 19, 1999, the gentleman from Flor- many rules, regulations, restrictions, Really, this is not news. The statis- ida (Mr. STEARNS) is recognized during and red tape on the shrinking amount tics are that Americans are 160 percent morning hour debates for 5 minutes. Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, 1 year of land that still remains in private more likely to be killed by a car than ago the United States and many of our lands today. to be shot and killed by a stranger. It NATO allies were engaged in an air Yet, there are some of these environ- is the equivalent of an airline crash campaign against Yugoslav forces. mental extremists who are not satis- every 2 weeks in this country, and for Next month will mark the 1-year anni- fied with half of the land and want every person who is killed, there are versary of the agreement providing for even more. another 20 who are injured; 6,000 dead the withdrawal of Yugoslavian troops in all, and 110,000 injured. There is something known as the Wildlands from Kosovo and the deployment of The seniors of our community are at Project, which I first read about in the Wash- international peacekeeping forces. the highest risk, almost twice a likely ington Post, which advocates taking half the Mr.