[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 125 (Friday, September 20, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1357]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RESTORING HEALTHY FORESTS FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. SUZANNE BONAMICI

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 19, 2013

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1526) to 
     restore employment and educational opportunity improve the 
     economic stability of, counties contaiing National Forest 
     System land, while also reducing Forest Service management 
     costs, by ensuring that such counties have a dependable 
     source of revenue from National Forest System land, to 
     provide a temporary extension of the Secure Rural Schools and 
     Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, and for other 
     purposes:

  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chair, I rise in reluctant opposition to H.R. 1526, 
the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act. Counties in 
my district in Oregon and across the state have long faced revenue 
shortfalls because of declining timber receipts, and the extended 
economic downturn of the last few years dealt another blow. 
Sequestration has further reduced the availability of federal funds, 
and for many counties their financial problems are even more acute.
   There is no question that federal policy governing the management of 
the O&C lands must change. Current policy results in consistently low 
revenue from timber receipts, harming already cash-strapped counties. 
The failure to allow for fuel reduction that can prevent wildfires is 
threatening other forestland and the safety of our constituents and 
their families.
   As I have said many times, we need a legislative solution that will 
help our counties put their finances in order, protect vital natural 
resources and wildlife habitat, and mitigate the danger posed by 
wildfire. That solution, however, must be one that can pass both 
chambers and be signed into law; otherwise our efforts here in D.C. 
will not make a difference back at home.
   H.R. 1526 does extend vitally important county payments through the 
Secure Rural Schools program by one year. It would lead to more active 
management of federal forestland in Oregon and it does include some 
vital environmental conservation provisions. But the overall proposal 
does not adequately balance economic and environmental priorities and 
has no chance of becoming law.
   Some of my colleagues from Oregon have already put in long hours 
searching for a solution to this issue that our counties face, and I 
applaud Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Walden, and Mr. Schrader for their efforts to 
resolve this issue.
   I look forward to continuing to work with my House and Senate 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support a bill that will help 
our counties and, importantly, will become law. I hope that we can work 
together with haste to draft and enact broadly-supported legislation 
that will help our local and county officials back home.

                          ____________________