The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“RESPONSIBLE FOREST MANAGEMENT” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H4502 on July 11, 2002.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RESPONSIBLE FOREST MANAGEMENT
(Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, it is summertime, and out West it is the height of the fire season. Every day we ask our brave fire fighters to risk their lives to put out these dangerous blazes. Unfortunately, their job is made more difficult primarily due to extreme environmental groups.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that nearly half of the 2002 projects to reduce wildfires and wildfire risks have been blocked by lawsuits brought by these same extreme environmental groups. These delays have significantly slowed efforts to remove the tinder-dry overgrowth out of our Federal forests and contributed greatly to the West's worst fire year on record. With half of the fire season left, more than 3 million acres have been lost to forest fires and wildfires, lost for all Americans to enjoy, lost for 100 years to come.
Today, the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health of the Committee on Resources will hold a hearing to address this issue. We need to find a way to end the misguided crusade against responsible forest management. Only then will we be able to prevent destructive wildfires that decimate our national forests.
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