    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [August 22, 2002]
    [Pages 1435-1436]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1435]]

    Exchange With Reporters During a Tour of the Squire Peak Fire Area in
    Ruch, Oregon
    August 22, 2002

    Healthy Forests Initiative

        Q. Mr. President, if I may, your proposal to thin out the forest a
    little bit--some critics say it might cause a drastic increase in
    commercial logging. What do you say----
        The President. What the critics need to do is come and stand right
    where I stand. It's--what the critics need to do is come and see
    firsthand the effects of bad forest policy. That's what they need to
    come and see. And by the way, there's nothing wrong with people being
    able to earn a living off of effective forest management. There are a
    lot of people in this part of the State that can't find work because we
    don't properly manage our forests. And this is the second fire site I've
    been to this summer, and it's the same story. Had we properly managed
    our forests, the devastation caused would not nearly--have been nearly
    as severe as it has been. And it's a crying shame.
        You heard the man say that when a forest like this burns, there's
    more likely to be disease. The beetles will come and start--we've got to
    do a better job. And that's why I'm here. I'm going to talk about how
    the administration can move, and I'm going to call upon Congress to
    enact some reasonable legislation to make sure we better manage our
    forest, so these guys aren't having to fight fires every year--
    particularly, one of the biggest we've seen in a long time, the Biscuit
    fire. And the point is, is that we can prevent fire by good sound
    practice.

    [At this point, the tour continued.]

    President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan

        Q. Mr. President, do you have any reaction to President Musharraf's
    rewriting of the Pakistani Constitution?
        The President. My reaction about President Musharraf--he's still
    tight with us on the war against terror, and that's what I appreciate.
    He's a--he understands that we've got to keep Al Qaida on the run and
    that, by keeping him on the run, it's more likely we will bring him to
    justice. And I appreciate his strong support.
        Obviously, to the extent that our friends promote democracy, it's
    important. We will continue to work with our friends and allies to
    promote democracy, give people a chance to express their opinions the
    proper way. And--so we'll stay in touch with President Musharraf in more
    ways than one.
        Q. Mr. President----
        The President. Yes.

    Healthy Forests Initiative

        Q. ----back to the fire. Do we have enough money in the Federal
    coffer to pay for all the things needed throughout the West?
        The President. Well, we'll--if we don't, we'll deal with it, because
    I mentioned to the Governor, Congress has
    got a way of spending money. My job is to make sure they spend on
    priorities, and if I didn't think the forest of the United States was a
    priority, I wouldn't be here. It is a priority.
        The other thing is, is that there are partnerships which can be put
    together to the benefit of those who care about conservation, the State
    and those who employ people. And the approach I'm going to talk about
    and the approach, frankly, that the Governor has worked with Governor Kempthorne of Idaho on is a balanced approach, one that recognizes
    more than one party involved, that there are a variety of folks involved
    with the health of our forests. And all voices ought to be listened to,
    and a strategy ought to be developed that will--

    [[Page 1436]]

    that will achieve goals. One of the goals is prevent fire, healthy
    forests. Another goal is going to be to conserve our forests. Another
    goal will be to provide jobs. So we believe we can do that.

    California Gubernatorial Candidate Bill Simon

        Q. Sir, Bill Simon's family's investigation fund was found guilty of
    fraud. How do you reconcile that fact with your visits tomorrow to
    California to campaign for him, given your corporate accounting----
        The President. I agree--I understand your question. Bill Simon
    assures us that when the courts look at this case, he'll be innocent,
    and I take the man for his word.
        Okay. You're tired of me answering questions, I know. [Laughter]
    It's unbelievable, 2 days in a row.
        Q. We like it.
        The President. What?
        Q. We like it.

    Note: The exchange began at 11:33 a.m. In his remarks, the President
    referred to Gov. John A. Kitzhaber of Oregon and Gov. Dirk Kempthorne of
    Idaho. A tape was not available for verification of the content of this
    exchange.