[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 17 (Monday, January 28, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S700-S701]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KAINE (for himself and Mr. Warner):
  S. 247. A bill to designate additions to the Rough Mountain 
Wilderness and the Rich Hole Wilderness of the George Washington 
National Forest, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, this bill authorizes additions to two 
existing wilderness areas within the George Washington National Forest 
in Bath County, Virginia. This text represents years of negotiation and 
compromise among Virginia stakeholders who rely in different ways on 
the GW Forest.
  In many parts of America, Federal land management is controversial. 
Some may view these lands as repositories for timber, energy, or 
minerals. Others may enjoy using recreational trails through them. 
Others may believe that they should be left to nature and not 
disturbed. The truth, of course, is that all of these uses are 
important; the conflict lies in agreeing on which lands are best suited 
to which purposes.
  In the lead-up to the latest multi-year GW Forest Management Plan, 
various forest users came together to see if they could find reasonable 
compromises that would avoid years of unproductive disagreement and 
litigation. This group, known as the George Washington National Forest 
Stakeholder Collaborative, succeeded. Through hard work and consensus, 
the Collaborative made joint recommendations to the U.S. Forest Service 
for forest management and protection. Preservation advocates consented 
to timber harvest and other active forest restoration and management in 
certain areas, while forest products interests consented to wilderness 
and light management in other areas. Following this fruitful 
collaboration, the Forest Service convened the Lower Cowpasture 
Restoration and Management Project, bringing together the Collaborative 
and other stakeholders to help develop management activities on this 
particular part of the Forest in Bath County. Again, this collaborative 
succeeded, with everyone getting some of what they want and giving some 
ground.
  The Collaborative has now come together to support the wilderness 
additions in this bill, which designates 4,500

[[Page S701]]

acres to be added to the Rich Hole Wilderness Area and 1,000 acres to 
be added to the Rough Mountain Wilderness Area. I am proud to partner 
on this with my colleague Senator Mark Warner, and we are following in 
the path blazed by Senator John Warner and Representative Rick Boucher, 
who led the original Virginia Wilderness Act in 1984.
  Taking care of our Nation's public lands is good for the economy and 
good for the environment. Land disputes may often be contentious, but 
this example proves they don't have to be. When everyone comes to the 
table and invests the necessary time, we can find common ground. I hope 
this will be a lesson for us in other tough policy challenges, and I 
encourage the Senate to support this bill.

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