[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 47 (Tuesday, March 14, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H3095]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TAYLOR-DICKS EMERGENCY TIMBER SALVAGE AMENDMENT
(Mr. HERGER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, much of our national forests in the West are
sick and dying. Drought, disease, insects, and fire are killing our
forest in epidemic proportions. Some forests are already 60 and 70
percent dead. We must restore the health of our forests before it is
too late. The best way to do this is to remove the source of sickness
as soon as possible. Insects and disease cannot kill living trees if we
remove the infested trees from the forest. Dead brittle trees cannot
become the kindling for wildfire if we extract them from overstocked
timber stands. Mr. Speaker, if we really want to preserve our forests,
then we must act now. The Taylor-Dicks emergency timber salvage
amendment to the supplemental appropriations bill before the House this
week will curb the death cycle in our forest. Mr. Speaker, I urge my
colleagues to support this crucially important amendment.
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