    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
    [December 21, 1994]
    [Pages 2198-2199]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Pacific Northwest Forest Plan
    December 21, 1994

        Today a U.S. District Court upheld the Northwest Forest Plan. This
    decision allows us to continue to move forward in pursuit of my
    commitment to the people and the environment of the Pacific Northwest
    and northern California.
        For years, gridlock over the management of public forest lands
    created an uncertain future for the people of the region. It was a
    problem my administration inherited, and one that we made a priority to
    solve.
        Just 7 months after the announcement of the forest plan, much has
    already been done. Unemployment for the entire region is at its lowest
    level in years, millions of dollars have been distributed to more than
    100 communities for economic revitalization, and work is underway to
    analyze and restore damaged watersheds and protect millions of acres of
    old-growth habitat.

    [[Page 2199]]

    The plan approved today will provide for a sustainable level of timber
    harvesting, while protecting the environment.
        In the true spirit of reinventing Government, the plan is a model of
    interagency cooperation with seven different Federal agencies working
    together, sharing information, and making joint decisions. It is the
    common sense way to do business and will prevent us from falling back to
    the days of gridlock. We are moving forward at last, and my
    administration and I remain committed to the people, to the economy, and
    to the environment of the Pacific Northwest and northern California.