[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 21 (Monday, May 27, 2002)]
[Pages 885-886]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the Conference on Improving Forest Health and Reducing Risk 
of Wildfire

May 23, 2002

    I commend Secretary Norton and Secretary Veneman for their strong 
leadership in addressing the widespread problems of declining forest 
health and the risk of destructive wildfires, particularly in the West. 
Today's conference, highlighting the completion of the Ten Year 
Comprehensive Strategy Implementation Plan, marks an important new 
cooperative effort between the Federal Government, States, local 
governments, Native American tribes, and concerned citizens and 
organizations. Working together, we will promote sound forest management 
to restore forest health and make the recreational opportunities and 
resources of our forests more accessible. In many areas, this will 
require active forest management efforts to thin our forests of 
excessive natural fuels and restore native vegetation to our forests and 
rangelands.
    Our goal is to reduce the threat that wildfires pose to homes, 
communities, and the environment. Severe drought conditions in many 
areas of the United States make it essential that we cooperate in our 
efforts to fight fires and reduce the fuel loads that cause them. 
Cooperation will also enable us to move forward on other important 
endeavors, such as improving the performance of the Northwest Forest 
Plan. I thank Governor Kempthorne and Governor Kitzhaber for their help 
in crafting this bipartisan agreement and for hosting this important 
conference.

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