[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 21307-21308]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY SELF-DETERMINATION ACT OF 2000

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, twenty-two days ago I was here on the 
Senate floor helping to secure the support of 100 Senators in passing 
the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. 
It was a good day for rural Americans when the Senate adopted S. 1608 
unanimously.
  Today is even better for rural Americans. A few minutes ago, the 
Senate passed legislation that now reflects an agreement among all 
stakeholders--the schools, the counties, the House and Senate and the 
Administration--that assures House and Senate passage and the 
President's signature. This bill is the winning formula for everyone 
concerned about rural communities.
  The bill the Senate has passed is fundamentally unchanged from S. 
1608. The basics are the same: the purposes, the funding formula, and 
the flexibility for counties to choose how to spend a portion of the 
payment. The bill will provide stable payments for education and roads 
in more than 750 timber-dependent counties across this country and real 
opportunities for environmental restoration on our national forests.
  The bill will make sure our rural communities do not become economic 
sacrifice zones. It will help people in forest communities adapt to 
changing national forest management policies by creating a funding 
formula alternative to timber receipts.
  Policy changes in Washington, D.C. affecting logging on national 
forests across this country have caused timber receipts to fall an 
average of 70 percent over the last 15 years, and by as much as 90 
percent in some areas. As timber receipts disappeared, roads fell 
deeper into disrepair, school programs were cut to the bone, and some 
schools even had to close their doors at least one day a week.
  This legislation will give rural communities a more predictable 
payment formula than the current roller coaster system based on timber 
receipts. The amount going toward schools and roads would represent 80-
85 percent of the three-year average of the highest payment years from 
fiscal years 1986 to 1999. The amount would be calculated on a state-
by-state, three-high-year basis, but would be distributed among the 
counties on a county-by-county, three-high-year calculation. Unlike 
today's system, a county will receive its

[[Page 21308]]

payment from the General Treasury, regardless of whether a single tree 
is cut on the national forests.
  The bill before us today retains and improves upon a key element of 
S. 1608: that counties decide for themselves, in conjunction with other 
stakeholders, how they want to invest the remaining 15-to-20 percent of 
the average payment. This bill clarifies and underscores county 
flexibility to use the funds other than those designated for schools 
and roads in any combination a county chooses for: fire prevention and 
fighting wildfires; forest-related education; easement purchases; 
emergency services reimbursement; stewardship projects; maintenance of 
existing forest infrastructure; ecosystem restoration; and improvement 
of land and water quality on national forest lands.
  There is no doubt about it. This legislation will change the 
traditional dynamic between logging and Federal payments to schools and 
counties. But altering the link between timber harvest and county 
payments does not mean we seek to sever the ties between people and 
land. This bill will strengthen the bond between communities and 
neighboring Federal forests. The authorized projects are a way for the 
Federal government to recognize--without relaxing or compromising our 
environmental commitments--that timber towns grow not just trees, but 
people, too.
  S. 1608 is supported by thousands of groups, hundreds of counties, 
labor organizations and school groups including the National Education 
Association, National Association of Counties, the American Federation 
of State, County and Municipal Employees, as well as the AFL-CIO.
  I particularly want to thank Senator Craig, Chairman of the Forests 
and Public Lands Subcommittee, for helping to bring us to where we are 
today. He has been tireless in his efforts. I also want to recognize 
the outstanding commitment of Senator Bingaman, the ranking member on 
the Energy Committee, and the incredible work of Senator Baucus, who 
brought additional attention to non-federal land county projects, 
including wildfire prevention.
  I would also like to acknowledge the work of the staff on this 
legislation. In particular, Josh Kardon, my Chief of Staff, and Sarah 
Bittleman, my Natural Resources Counsel, have done yeoman's work on 
this legislation. Carole Grunberg, my Legislative Director, was always 
there with support and encouragement. And Jeff Gagne, my Education 
advisor, also contributed to the effort by figuring out the maze of 
Oregon education spending. Special thanks also goes to David Dye, 
Counsel to the Senate Energy Committee and to Mark Rey of the Energy 
Committee staff, whose steady hand and creativity helped resolve so 
many problems successfully; to Bob Simon and Kira Finkler, of the 
Energy Committee Democratic staff; and to Brian Kuehl with Senator 
Baucus, Sara Barth with Senator Boxer, and Peter Hanson with Senator 
Daschle.

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