[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 25835]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        TRIBUTE TO ERIC KINGSLEY

 Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay 
tribute to Eric Kingsley as he leaves his position as Executive 
Director of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association, NHTOA.
  Eric's five year tenure at NHTOA has been marked by progress and 
success. The organization's programs and services have grown to meet 
the needs and concerns of its members, and have established a strong, 
stable foundation for the association's future.
  Through the years, I have grown to value Eric's input on the many 
issues that significantly impact New Hampshire's timberlands. Eric has 
done an outstanding job of keeping me, and other policymakers, informed 
on the issues and has been a true leader in making sure the voice of 
NHTOA was heard throughout the country.
  Of all of Eric's achievements at NHTOA, perhaps his most important 
success came this past spring. Eric helped lead the charge to defeat 
the Environmental Protection Agency's ill-considered proposal to treat 
some forestry activities as ``point source pollution'' under the Clean 
Water Act. These rules, known as the Total Maximum Daily Loads--TMDL 
Rule--would have required landowners, foresters, and homeowners to 
obtain federal permits before conducting a timber harvest and could 
have exposed them to lengthy bureaucratic delays and costly citizen 
lawsuits.
  This past May, I held a field hearing in Whitefield, New Hampshire, 
on the TMDL rule. Eric was a persuasive witness, providing thoughtful 
and compelling testimony. He also organized hundreds of foresters to 
ensure their message was heard loud and clear in Washington. Thanks in 
large part to Eric's leadership on this issue, EPA withdrew the section 
of the TMDL rules that adversely affected forestry.
  My staff and I have also worked closely with Eric on issues of 
importance to the White Mountain National Forest. When the President 
issued his ``roadless'' initiative stripping the people of New 
Hampshire and New England of the opportunity to have a meaningful voice 
in the management of their public lands, Eric was there to ensure we 
took this Administration to task.
  Eric also rose to the occasion in the face of destruction from Mother 
Nature's wrath. The Ice Storm in January 1998 brought unprecedented 
challenges to New Hampshire's forest lands. Hundreds of thousands of 
acres were significantly damaged. Eric worked closely with me and my 
colleagues to help us turn this tragedy into an opportunity. Today, not 
only has the federal government provided resources to help recover from 
the storm, but we have a record number of acres under forest 
stewardship plans.
  My staff and I have worked with Eric on a wide variety of other 
issues during his time at NHTOA. I have always been impressed with his 
dedication and the depth of knowledge he displayed on issues ranging 
from estate tax reform to rural economic development. Eric has always 
been an effective and honest advocate for the causes he holds close to 
his heart. I know he will be greatly missed by NHTOA's 1,500 members.


  I wish Eric well in all his future endeavors, and am confident he 
will succeed in whatever pursuits he chooses. It is an honor to 
represent him in the Senate.

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