[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3539]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRESSIONAL INACTION JEOPARDIZES BAKER COUNTY ROADS AND VOLUNTEER 
                              FIREFIGHTERS

  (Mr. WALDEN of Oregon asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, failure of Congress to reauthorize 
the Secure Schools and Community Self-Determination Act amounts to a 
breach of faith to more than 600 forested counties and 4,400 school 
districts across America. To Baker County, Oregon, this breach of faith 
means the road department crew who plow snow 5 months out of the year 
will be cut in half. The county will also have to fire the only trainer 
who prepares volunteer firefighters in 13 rural communities.
  If this Congress fails to act, the 11 people left in the road 
department will be responsible for maintaining 1,100 miles of road; 
that is one person for every 100 miles of road, the same distance from 
here to Richmond, Virginia.
  If this Congress fails to act, volunteer firefighters might not 
receive the vital life-saving training on equipment, tactics and 
communications. County Judge Fred Warner says, Because we have vast 
Federal lands, we have no tax base to replace the lost funding. We just 
need the Federal Government to honor its commitment.
  My colleagues, Congress must renew the Federal Government's promise 
to timbered communities. Pass H.R. 17. Time is running out.

                          ____________________