[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 14605-14606]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     FOREST JOBS AND RECREATION ACT

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, this summer my wife and I spent some time 
visiting the forests in the Rocky Mountains and we were horrified at 
the rate of dead and dying trees throughout the region from the 
mountain pine beetle epidemic. Upon returning to the Senate and 
visiting with my colleagues, I learned that Montana has almost 5 
million acres of trees impacted by this epidemic. Additionally, Wyoming 
has approximately 3\1/2\ million acres also impacted by this epidemic. 
These forests are in dire need and we must step up and empower the 
Forest Service to address this looming issue. The tactic of waiting for 
these trees to decompose while we solve our forest management battles 
does not work. While we wait, the timber infrastructure which can 
address this problem is also dying and those jobs will be lost forever. 
The cost of performing timber work in the future will become more and 
more cost prohibitive, consuming the Forest Service budget.
  We must step up and help our forest communities with this problem by 
providing the timber industry new tools and piloting different tactics 
to address these red and gray forests, all while balancing the needs of 
conservation. We must do this while restoring these lands and setting 
aside other lands for future generations. I believe Senator Tester's 
Forest Jobs and Recreation Act accomplishes this aim by designating 
666,000 acres of wilderness for hunting, fishing, and hiking. This bill 
also puts another 375,000 acres into areas specifically for recreation 
so people can bike, ride, and snowmobile in more places. Additionally, 
this bill focuses on recovering our forests from the impacts of beetles 
and restoring these woods to prime habitat for fish, birds, and big 
game. All of this will create much-needed jobs, healthier forests, and 
more opportunities for outdoor recreation--and the economy it supports.
  Decisions on how to use and protect our natural resources are never 
simple or clear cut. They require commitment and fortitude. They force 
conversations and compromise. They make us stronger by overcoming 
differences and looking toward the future. That is something the U.S. 
Senate could reflect upon. Senator Tester's collaborative approach of 
listening to his constituents who came together and found solutions to 
the problems facing their communities is a positive example of people 
working together to achieve their common goals of bettering this 
landscape for future generations. We cannot wait. The dead and dying 
trees become more of a hazard each day and the ability of mills to make 
something from this decomposing product will not last. The more 
proactive we can be, the less this will cost us in the long run.

[[Page 14606]]

  Senator Tester's efforts and collaborative approach to address the 
beetle epidemic should be commended. This is why I am a cosponsor of S. 
268, the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, introduced by Senator Tester.

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