[Senate Hearing 113-250]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]





                                                       S. Hrg. 113-250

 
                       SHORTCHANGING OUR FORESTS:
                    HOW TIGHT BUDGETS AND MANAGEMENT
              DECISIONS CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF WILDFIRE

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               before the

      SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONSERVATION, FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

                                 of the

                       COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE,
                        NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY

                          UNITED STATES SENATE


                    ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION


                               __________

                            NOVEMBER 5, 2013

                               __________

                       Printed for the use of the
            Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry


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            COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION AND FORESTRY



                 DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan, Chairwoman

PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont            THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi
TOM HARKIN, Iowa                     MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky
MAX BAUCUS, Montana                  PAT ROBERTS, Kansas
SHERROD BROWN, Ohio                  SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia
AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota             JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
MICHAEL BENNET, Colorado             JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota
KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, New York         MIKE JOHANNS, Nebraska
JOE DONNELLY, Indiana                CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, Iowa
HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota         JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
ROBERT P. CASEY, Jr., Pennsylvania

      SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONSERVATION, FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES



                   MICHAEL BENNET, Colorado, Chairman

PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont            JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
TOM HARKIN, Iowa                     RICHARD G. LUGAR, Indiana
KENT CONRAD, North Dakota            THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi
MAX BAUCUS, Montana                  MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky
AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota             SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia

             Christopher J. Adamo, Majority Staff Director

              Jonathan J. Cordone, Majority Chief Counsel

                    Jessica L. Williams, Chief Clerk

              Thomas Allen Hawks, Minority Staff Director

       Anne C. Hazlett, Minority Chief Counsel and Senior Advisor

                                  (ii)

  
                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page

Hearing(s):

Shortchanging Our Forests: How Tight Budgets and Management 
  Decisions can Increase the Risk of Wildfire....................     1

                              ----------                              

                       Tuesday, November 5, 2013
                    STATEMENTS PRESENTED BY SENATORS

Bennet, Hon. Michael, U.S. Senator from the State of Colorado....     1
Boozman, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from the State of Arkansas......     3
Klobuchar, Hon. Amy, U.S. Senator from the State of Minnesota....     5

                                Panel I

Hubbard, Jim , Deputy Chief, U.S. Forest Service, Washington, DC.     6

                                Panel II

Pitcher, Davey, President and CEO, Wolf Creek Ski Area, Pagosa 
  Springs, CO....................................................    15
Topik, Chris, Director, Restoring America's Forests Program, The 
  Nature Conservancy, Washington, DC.............................    16
Troxel, Tom, Executive Director, Intermountain Forest 
  Association, Rapid City, SD....................................    18
Clark, Sallie, Second Vice President, National Association of 
  Counties and Commissioner, El Paso County, CO..................    20
                              ----------                              

                                APPENDIX

Prepared Statements:
    Clark, Sallie................................................    34
    Hubbard, Jim.................................................    37
    Pitcher, Davey...............................................    48
    Topik, Chris.................................................    54
    Troxel, Tom..................................................    67
Question and Answer:
Cochran, Hon. Thad:
    Written questions to Jim Hubbard.............................    82
Hubbard, Jim:
    Written response to questions from Hon. Thad Cochran.........    83


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