[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 57 (Thursday, May 11, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S4463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    REAUTHORIZATION OF THE SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY SELF-
                       DETERMINATION ACT OF 2000

  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to engage in a colloquy with 
the majority leader, the Senator from Tennessee, regarding the 
reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-
Determination Act of 2000. This program is critical to bridge the gap 
in my State and others between what was, what is, and what will be the 
management direction of Federal forests. For nearly 100 years, counties 
across the country have shared in the productivity of Federal lands. 
They have received 25 percent of revenues derived from commercial 
activity on Forest Service lands, and under a separate statute--50 
percent of BLM revenues derived from the O & C lands of western Oregon. 
In areas that are dominated by Federal forests, these revenues also 
dominate county government budgets--budgets that pay for public 
schools, road maintenance and public safety.
  This issue is not one of permanently replacing forest productivity 
with a Government check. While I am a lead proponent of the safety net, 
which was not intended to be permanent, I have also tried very hard to 
restore common sense, predictability and productivity to the management 
of Federal forests. These lands are both ecological and economic assets 
that must be treated better.
  Unfortunately, that day has not yet arrived. That is why we created a 
safety net in 2000. That is why we also passed the Healthy Forests 
Restoration Act. That is why we must consider dealing with 
postcatastrophic event legislation, why we must continue funding the 
Forest Service and BLM forest management programs and do the other 
things that are needed to create real jobs in the woods and return 
viability to rural communities.
  Again, the day when forests are ecologically and economically 
sustainable has not yet arrived. What has arrived is an impending 
disaster if the county payments safety net is not extended. Oregon 
counties are not alone facing the hard times. Places such as Clearwater 
County, ID; Chelan County, WA; and Siskiyou County, CA, will also be 
devastated by failure to make a short-term extension of the Secure 
Rural Schools Act.
  A commitment from the majority leader to work with me to identify 
offsets for an extension of the Secure Rural Schools Act will embolden 
our efforts and reassure rural counties in my State that this issue is 
of the utmost importance to the Senate.
  Mr. FRIST. I thank the Senator from Oregon for his dedication to his 
State and all States that have been affected by the downturn in Federal 
timber receipts. He has been in close contact with me, the assistant 
majority leader and the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee 
communicating the significance and urgency of his cause. I commit to 
him to address the needs of rural counties and schools in Oregon and 
elsewhere. Working with the committees of jurisdiction, I commit to a 
thorough search for funding offsets so that these critical rural 
education programs can continue to serve the youth of those 
communities.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. I am aware of Senator Smith's concerns and pledge to 
work with him within the Finance Committee's jurisdiction, especially 
in the area of tax-exempt financing, to find the resources to assist 
the hard-hit areas to which he refers.
  Mr. SMITH. I appreciate the commitment of the Senator from Tennessee 
to help identify the needed offsets to extend the Secure Rural Schools 
program and look forward to working with him closely in the coming 
weeks. I also thank the chairman of the Finance Committee for his 
consideration of this issue.

                          ____________________