[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 147 (Monday, October 20, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12859-S12860]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORATION ACT

  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, on July 24, the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry reported to the Senate H.R. 1904, the Healthy 
Forests Restoration Act.
  This bill reflects a comprehensive effort to improve forest health on 
both public and private lands. The bill provides Federal land managers 
the tools

[[Page S12860]]

to implement scientifically supported management practices on Federal 
forests, in consultation with local communities, while establishing new 
conservation programs to improve water quality and regenerate declining 
forest ecosystem types on private lands.
  The legislation will reduce the amount of time and expense required 
to conduct hazardous fuels projects. But it also will require rigorous 
environmental analysis of such projects.
  Over the past few years, we have seen many communities destroyed and 
many firefighters' lives lost due to forest fires that could have been 
prevented. Instead of managing our national forest treasures, the U.S. 
Forest Service has been forced to spend great amounts of time and 
resources battling lawsuits. The result has been months and even years 
of delays in fuel reduction projects. Our forests have continued to 
suffer, and they have continued to burn.
  I have also introduced, with 13 cosponsors, an amendment to title I 
of the bill which contains several modifications to the House bill the 
committee reported. This amendment embodies recommendations made by a 
bipartisan group of Senators who are committed to getting this 
legislation passed and signed by the President.
  The amendment establishes a predecisional administrative review 
process. It allows an additional analysis under the National 
Environmental Policy Act. It directs the Secretary of Agriculture to 
give priority to communities and watersheds in hazardous fuel reduction 
projects. It contains new language protecting old growth stands. And it 
encourages the courts to expedite the judicial review process.
  The reported legislation contains a biomass title authorizing grant 
programs to encourage utilization of certain forest waste materials. 
Another title in the bill provides financial and technical assistance 
to private forest landowners to encourage better management techniques 
to protect water quality.
  The pest and remote sensing titles would authorize funding for the 
U.S. Forest Service, land grant institutions, and 1890 institutions to 
plan, conduct, and promote the gathering of information about insects 
that have caused severe damage to forest ecosystems.
  Title V, the Healthy Forest Reserve Program, is a private forestland 
conservation initiative that would support the restoration of declining 
forest ecosystem types that are critical to the recovery of threatened, 
endangered, and other sensitive species.
  Two additional titles were added to the House-passed bill by our 
committee. One would establish a public land corps to provide 
opportunities to young people for employment and at the same time 
provide a cost-effective and efficient means to implement 
rehabilitation and enhancement projects in local communities. The other 
new title will promote investment in forest-resource-dependent 
communities.

  This legislation provides new legal authority to help us manage the 
Nation's forests in a safe and effective manner. The bill will help us 
do a better job of safeguarding these priceless national resources. I 
urge the Senate to support this bill.

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