[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 13 (Thursday, February 10, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 10, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   A PROMISE TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

  Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, candidate Bill Clinton made a promise to 
working families in the Pacific Northwest. He promised to bring balance 
to the longstanding timber, spotted owl, old growth debate. He promised 
a balance that would preserve jobs in timber communities and protect 
forests. Not just one promise, but two. As President he repeated these 
promises a year ago in Portland at a widely publicized timber 
conference.
  In July he announced his plan, declaring that his administration had 
met the goals established at the Portland Conference. He claimed his 
plan would bring relief to the forests and the people of the Northwest. 
He said his plan would sustain communities by ``setting predictable and 
sustainable levels of timber sales''.
  What was promised these workers and their families? First, he 
promised that timber would be sold in 1993 to put people back to work 
in Northwest timber communities devastated by spotted owl restrictions. 
Specifically, he promised that his plan would sell 2 billion board feet 
throughout our region in its first year. This is important to timber 
dependent communities because according to studies each billion board 
feet of timber supports 18,000 jobs. And finally, he promised to ask 
Judge Dwyer to lift his injunction because his plan was environmentally 
sound.
  Have these promises been kept? The answer is no. Here is what 
happened. The administration did not ask Judge Dwyer to lift the 
injunction based on the preliminary plan. President Clinton backed off 
that pledge because it was never going to work. Clearly, Judge Dwyer 
would never lift his injunction based on an as yet to be finished 
environmental impact statement. In fact, these timber workers and their 
communities are still waiting for the submission of the final plan 
which is supposed to bring them some relief.
  Next, the administration entered negotiations with national 
environmental organizations in a vain effort to free up some of the 
timber. In the end, the administration succeeded in freeing only 83 
million board feet of timber of the 400 million it was after.
  Finally, the administration failed to get the people of the region 
affected by spotted owls back to work by promoting and fighting for a 
sustainable harvest level. The fact is that virtually no new sales of 
timber have proceeded in the spotted owl region except for limited 
thinning and salvage sales amounting to less than 100 million board 
feet of timber.
  The administration responds that it has cleared some 1.25 billion 
board feet of timber for harvesting. The problem is that virtually none 
of this timber is from new timber sales, but is just the clearing of 
old sales. By October 1994, the administration hopes, and I repeat 
hopes, to have a total of 1.8 to 2 billion board feet available, 
virtually all from old sales. The administration is not on course to 
keep its promise to free up 2 billion board feet of new timber sales.
  The death knell is ringing for the communities dependent on the 
Federal timber sale program, in the Pacific Northwest. It is a death 
that the President promised to avoid. Why has he failed? Because the 
time between timber sale, preparation for harvest, harvest and delivery 
to the mills is often grater than a year. Because the administration 
has failed to provide more than a pittance of new timber, the pipeline 
between sale and mill will very soon run dry.
  Recently, a timber group announced that it would push for harvest 
levels higher than those promised by President Clinton. Members of the 
Washington and Oregon delegations accurately responded by stating that 
any such attempt would be futile. The administration adamantly insists 
that it will go no higher than the harvest levels promised by President 
Clinton and Congress will certainly not overrule the President. But is 
it not reasonable for families and communities in the Northwest to 
expect the Clinton administration to keep the promises that it made 
itself?
  It is not unreasonable. I have made my position clear that I think 
the President has set his harvest levels too low. I recognize the 
reality that he will not change his mind and that Congress will not 
approve levels higher, but it is not unreasonable for timber 
communities to ask the President to keep his promise.
  But timber dependent communities are still waiting for the President 
to deliver on his promises. These workers and their communities still 
wait for an end to the deadlock in the Northwest's forests and a return 
even to a modest and sustainable timber harvest.
  I am convinced that the President needs congressional protection to 
implement the plan he announced last July. Approval of the President's 
plan by Judge Dwyer will do nothing to protect future timber sales from 
legal challenges. Without congressional protection, I do believe that 
his plans will never result in certain and sustainable timber harvest 
levels.
  On the other hand, the President seems to think that he can 
accomplish the same level of certitude without congressional 
protection. If so, I would be pleased to hear of these plans but in 
either case he needs to act now to deliver on the promise he made. I 
stand ready to assist President Clinton in delivering the harvests he 
promised to the timber communities whatever the method he chooses.
  The people of timber country can wait no longer. The time is now for 
this administration and this Congress to respond to their needs. Not 
next week, or next month, or next fall but now.
  Mr. BOND addressed the Chair.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Missouri is 
recognized. The Chair will note that the Republican leader has 6 
minutes and 8 seconds remaining.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I thank the Chair and I thank my colleagues 
for their indulgence.

                          ____________________