[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 28098]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      EXTENDING THE TERM OF THE FOREST COUNTIES PAYMENTS COMMITTEE

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                               speech of

                         HON. PETER A. DeFAZIO

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 28, 2003

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, the Forest Counties Payments Committee 
was created by Congress in 2000 to make recommendations and report on 
certain payments to counties. Perhaps most important, the committee was 
charged with monitoring and submitting a report on payments made under 
the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-determination Act (Pub. L. 
106-393), also known as ``County Payments'' legislation. But the 
Committee and the payments were created by different pieces of 
legislation and were erroneously set to expire at different times. This 
bill will correct that error and extend the authorization of the 
Committee so that it expires with the Secure Rural Schools and 
Community Self-determination Act.
  County Payments legislation has provided rural counties in the West 
with some level of economic certainty following the precipitous decline 
in timber revenue from federal land. These payments have been critical 
for education funding in rural school districts that were once timber-
dependent. In addition, payments have been used for road maintenance, 
successful community policing programs, vital search and rescue 
equipment, noxious weed control, collaborative forest health projects, 
and the restoration of important fish habitat, just to name a few 
benefits.
  The committee submitted its Report to Congress on County Payments 
legislation in February. The report provided invaluable information 
about the implementation of the County Payments legislation, and 
recommendations for reauthorization. Unfortunately, Congress has yet to 
act to reauthorize this important law. As Congress prepares to 
reauthorize it, hopefully in the next year, the Committee's expertise 
and advice on the law will be vital to ensuring Congress acts in the 
best interest of those in need of County Payments funding. Approving 
this bill to authorize the Forest Counties Payments Committee 
throughout the duration of the County Payments law will make sure that 
happens. I urge the bill's adoption.

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