[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 63 (Friday, May 19, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               FOREST EMERGENCY RECOVERY AND RESEARCH ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 17, 2006

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4200) to 
     improve the ability of the Secretary of Agriculture and the 
     Secretary of the Interior to promptly implement recovery 
     treatments in response to catastrophic events affecting 
     Federal lands under their jurisdiction, including the removal 
     of dead and damaged trees and the implementation of 
     reforestation treatments, to support the recovery of non-
     Federal lands damaged by catastrophic events, to revitalize, 
     Forest Service experimental forests, and for other purposes:

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Chairman, I would have hoped to be 
able to rise today to support a bill that strengthened our existing law 
in caring for and protecting our environment. Unfortunately, this is 
not so.
  When the Forests Emergency Recovery and Research Act was introduced, 
I did not consider it perfect, but I felt that the intent was good. I 
had faith that as the bill moved through committees, any weaknesses or 
inconsistencies would be amended, and that ultimately we would have on 
the floor a bill that I would want to support.
  Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case. The bill purports 
to provide for emergency recovery projects to help lands heal from 
natural disasters such as floods and fires, when in fact it imposes 
unnecessary exemptions from provisions in the Clean Water Act, the 
National Historic Preservation Act, the National Environmental Policy 
Act, and the Endangered Species Act.
  New research and peer-reviewed science is emerging that verifies that 
post-disturbance or post-fire logging destroys wildlife habitat, 
pollutes watersheds, and delays a forest's ability to regenerate 
itself. In fact, what some term ``salvage logging'' may even increase 
the risk of fire.
  These studies have indicated that ecosystems have an amazing ability 
to recover quickly from fires; in fact, fires are needed for 
regeneration and re-growth. Forests are, in fact, much like the 
legendary Phoenix, experiencing a majestic rebirth from ashes 
periodically. Dead or damaged trees help to insulate ground-level 
growth and absorb moisture, preventing fire. These ``snags'' also serve 
as protective homes for multitudes of wildlife before they decompose 
and return sustenance to the soil.
  At stake here, however, is writing into law land management practices 
that are quickly proving themselves not only out of date, but 
detrimental to the environment. We must remember that fire clean-up and 
logging profit is not the only goal--our main goal should be to 
preserve these forests for posterity.
  Therefore I can not support this bill in its current form, and I 
encourage my colleagues to vote against an act that attempts to 
undermine existing environmental protections and damage delicate 
ecological balance.

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