[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 151 (Monday, November 5, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11442-S11443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS:
  S. 1633. A bill to amend the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 
1978 to establish a program to provide assistance to States and 
nonprofit organizations to preserve suburban open space and contain 
suburban sprawl, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, the people of Maine have always been 
faithful stewards of the forest because we understand its tremendous 
value to our economy and to our way of life. From the vast tracts of 
land in the north to the small woodlots of the south, forest land helps 
shape the character of our entire State. While our commitment to 
stewardship has preserved the forest for generations, there is a new 
threat to Maine's forest that requires a new approach.

[[Page S11443]]

  The threat is suburban sprawl, which has already consumed tens-of-
thousands of acres of forest land in southern Maine. Sprawl occurs 
because the economic value of forest or farm land cannot compete with 
the value of developed land. The problem is particularly acute here in 
southern Maine where a 108 percent increase in urbanized land over the 
past two decades has resulted in the labeling of greater Portland as 
the ``sprawl capital of the Northeast.''
  I am alarmed by the amount of working forest land and open space that 
has given way to strip malls and cul-de-sacs. Our State is trying to 
respond to this challenge. The people of Maine have approved a $50-
million bond to preserve land through the Land for Maine's Future 
Board, and continue to use scarce local funds and contribute their time 
and money to preserve important lands and to support our State's 88 
land trusts.
  The people of Maine are forging a new approach to preserving our 
working forest and protecting our communities from sprawl. It is time 
for the Federal Government to support these efforts.
  Today I am introducing the Suburban and Community Forestry and Open 
Space Initiative Act. The legislation, which was drafted with the 
advice of land owners, conservation groups, and community planners, 
establishes a $50-million grant program within the U.S. Forest Service 
to support locally-driven projects that preserve working forests. State 
and local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, would 
compete for funds to purchase land or conservation easements to keep 
forest lands, threatened by development, in their traditional use.
  Projects funded under this initiative must be targeted at lands 
located in parts of the country that are threatened by sprawl. The 
legislation requires that Federal grant funds be matched dollar-for-
dollar with State, local, or private resources. The grant program will 
help promote sustainable forestry and public access to forest lands. My 
legislation protects the rights of property owners with the inclusion 
of a ``willing-seller'' provision and it allows non-profits, States, 
and municipalities--but not the Federal Government--to hold title to 
land or easements purchased under the program.
  The $50 million that would be authorized by my bill would help 
achieve a number of stewardship objectives. First, my legislation would 
help prevent forest fragmentation and preserve working forests, helping 
to maintain the supply of timber that fuels Maine's most important 
industry. Second, the resources made available as part of my 
legislation would be a valuable tool in communities that are struggling 
to manage growth and prevent sprawl. Currently, if the town of Gorham, 
ME or another community trying to cope with the effects of sprawl 
turned to the Federal Government for assistance, none would be found. 
My bill will change that by making the Federal Government an active 
partner in preserving forest land and managing sprawl, while leaving 
decision-making at the State and local level.
  We can all be proud of the work being done in Maine to protect our 
working forests for the next generation, and I am grateful that many of 
the people and organizations that are leading this effort are 
supporting my legislation. By enacting the Suburban and Community 
Forestry and Open Space Initiative Act Congress can provide a real 
boost to conservation initiatives, help preserve sprawl, and help 
sustain the vitality of natural resource-based industries.
                                 ______