Greg Walden

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4301) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain parcels of land acquired for the Blunt Reservoir and Pierre Canal features of the initial stage of the Oahe Unit, James Division, South Dakota, to the Commission of Schools and Public Lands and the Department of Game, Fish, and Parks of the State of South Dakota for the purpose of mitigating lost wildlife habitat, on the condition that the current preferential leaseholders shall have an option to purchase the parcels from the Commission, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 4301, sponsored by Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth, brings much needed closure and justice for a number of landowners who have been negatively impacted by a South Dakota irrigation project that never materialized. To complete the irrigation project, the Federal Government acquired over 19,000 acres from local landowners. Many of these lands were obtained by condemnation. Despite all this hardship, the project was never completed, but the Federal Government has retained ownership to the lands for the last 30 years. This bill simply gives many of the landowners options to buy the land back and gives some of the land to the State of South Dakota to benefit fish and wildlife. The legislation also formally deauthorizes that irrigation project. This bill is a culmination of many years of hard work among various interests. It not only provides fairness to local landowners and the county government, but it also improves the environment. I commend the South Dakota delegation for their hard work and urge my colleagues to support this most important, balanced and fair legislation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3603) to promote the economic development and recreational use of National Forest System lands and other public lands in central Idaho, to designate the Boulder-White Cloud Management Area to ensure the continued management of certain National Forest System lands and Bureau of Land Management lands for recreational and grazing use and conservation and resource protection, to add certain National Forest System lands and Bureau of Land Management lands in central Idaho to the National Wilderness Preservation System, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I yield my sufficient such time as I may consume. I am really pleased that we are bringing forward Congressman Mike Simpson's bill, H.R. 3603, the Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act, otherwise known as CIEDRA. Congressman Simpson should be commended for the hard work that he has put into developing this legislation over the last 6 years. He has worked tirelessly to get this legislation to this position. This bill is the first comprehensive wilderness bill to come out of the State of Idaho in more than 25 years, a quarter of a century. It enjoys broad support from elected officials, as well as the Idaho conservation community and present and past statewide officials. H.R. 3603 considers all users in the Boulder-White Clouds. It creates three new wilderness areas, totaling approximately 312,000 acres. It authorizes the first-ever wheelchair accessible trails in the wilderness. It locks in existing motorized use for all terrain vehicles and snowmobiles, and it also provides much needed economic assistance to a county that is, get this, over 95 percent Federal land. Ninety- five percent. H.R. 3603 is a locally produced compromise that meets the needs of today's users and secures the future for generations of Idahoans and Americans who want to continue using and enjoying our beautiful Boulder-White Clouds area. By passing this bill, we can put to rest many longstanding conflicts and move forward toward a more secure future for those who use and enjoy this area. Once again, Mr. Simpson's efforts at bringing together very diverse groups should be applauded. I urge passage of this important piece of compromise legislation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for that very kind comment. It has been a pleasure to work these through the floor with you as well. I want to commend my colleagues from California, especially Mr. Thompson, who I know has passionately been trying to move this legislation forward, and his work with Chairman Pombo has brought about a bill that we all can support. Madam Speaker, with that, I think we have concluded our business on this bill and others from the Resources Committee. I yield back the balance of my time and call on my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 233, the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act, was introduced by our colleague Congressman Mike Thompson at the beginning of the 109th Congress. Last July, the Resources Committee held a legislative hearing on this bill. Though Mr. Thompson worked hard to gain support for the bill, it was clear that some issues needed to be resolved before the bill could move forward. Since then, Chairman Pombo and Congressman Thompson have worked cooperatively to develop a compromise on H.R. 233. The changes in the bill include a reduction of approximately 11,000 acres of proposed wilderness in Del Norte County because of community concerns; removing the Perkins Creek Trail portion of Cache Creek area to ensure that mountain biking, which is prohibited in wilderness under the 1964 act, could continue; and eliminating nearly 6,500 acres of proposed wilderness in the Mad River Buttes area to make certain motorized and mechanized recreation may continue in this important recreational area. To ensure that not only wilderness but also recreation was protected, the bill codifies mountain bike and motorized recreation as a prescribed use in the 51,000-acre Cow Mountain Recreation Area. Because of concerns about access to wilderness areas, the bill will also mandate that all cherry- stemmed roads will remain open and mountain bike and motorized recreation access will continue on these roads. These measures will ensure that the public will have a variety of recreational options on the public lands. Finally, the bill addresses a longstanding problem with surf fishing permits on the beaches of Redwood National and State Park. When the Redwood National Park was created in 1968, you may recall it was with the intent that surf fishing in the area would continue. Yet since then, many fishing permits have been canceled and will soon be completely phased out. This bill will put a stop to the phase-out by continuing 27 fishing permits for smelt. Surf fishing in this area is an important tradition within the community and the continuation of these permits will help to enhance a stagnant local economy. On behalf of full Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo, I want to thank Congressman Thompson for his willingness to work with the committee to make this wilderness bill a bipartisan and broadly supported piece of legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support this balanced and bipartisan measure. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, the late Arthur Ashe once said, ``True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at any cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.'' With that in mind, I rise today to recognize a heroic event that took place in the heart of Oregon's 2nd Congressional District on Sunday, July 10, 2006. On that day, a member of our Nation's military gave selfless service to three children in danger--and in the process saved a life. Specialist Tom Hoy is a member of the Oregon Army National Guard, 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team. On July 10th, 2006, he was with three fellow soldiers participating in recruiting activities near the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon. While near the river, Specialist Hoy observed three children on inner-tubes, with no life jackets, who were floating downstream, dangerously near a spillway. A spillway creates a perilous setting. A woman was reported as having drowned near this spillway the day before, and another woman had to be pulled from it unconscious several days before that. What Specialist Hoy saw was at least one of the children appearing to be in distress. The soldiers directed the three children to come to shore, and the two older boys were able to. But the third child, a young girl no older than six or seven years old, was too far out and appeared to be crying and frightened. Specialist Hoy told the girl to grab onto some weeds that were growing out of the water and instructed another soldier to stay on the near side of the river in case she let go and made it near that side. Hoy then ran upstream, crossed a bridge, and ran back down the opposite bank, jumping several fences, until he reached the girl's location. Without any concern for his personal safety, Specialist Hoy entered the waist deep, swift-moving water and was able to have the girl climb onto his back where he carried her to safety. Hoy, the other soldiers, and one civilian then returned the girl to her overjoyed parents. Specialist Hoy is a resident of Prineville, Oregon, where he resides with his wife, Jennifer, and their children. He remains a dedicated public servant. In addition to his continued role protecting our Nation, he is a reserve police officer with the Prineville Police Department. I myself am proud to represent Specialist Hoy in the House of Representatives. I urge my colleagues to applaud his selfless act of service as a way of urging others to follow the example set by this real life hero.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to one of Oregon's most dedicated and accomplished public servants. After 27 years, Mr. Michael A. Maier is retiring from the position of Deschutes County Administrator. During his career, Mike has led Deschutes County through a period of unprecedented growth which has transformed a small rural community into a thriving region that attracts visitors and new residents from throughout the country. Mike was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. Upon entering adulthood, he proudly served his country as a member of the United States Marine Corps, holding the position of Group Communication Center Supervisor. Following his discharge, he attended, California State University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public and Business Administration in 1974. He then proceeded to obtain a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California in 1976. After completing his education, Mike moved to Oregon and became an Administrator in the Oregon Circuit and District Court system. However, Mike's interest in government continued to grow, and by 1979, he chose to pursue a career in the broader field of public administration. He assumed his current position as Deschutes County Administrator in May 1979 and has been a highly respected and valued contributor to both the community and local government ever since. During Mike's tenure, Deschutes County has consistently ranked as one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. The rapid increase in population, from approximately 62,000 in 1979 to nearly 145,000 in 2005, has presented a wealth of challenges and opportunities. Mike skillfully guided the County through this transition, managing organizational growth from 250 employees to well over 800 and an annual budget of just over $16 million in 1979 to almost $228 million today. Among Mike's many accomplishments as a Public Administrator, he is justifiably proudest of those that brought fiscal strength and stability to Deschutes County. His creativity and innovation are the source of a system in which existing property and partnerships are leveraged to construct new County facilities without additional cost to the taxpayer. He also initiated a self-insurance program that has saved millions of taxpayer dollars while creating an environment of trust and cooperation between County management, employees, and labor organizations and serving as a model for other communities. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in honoring one of Oregon's finest public servants, Mike Maier. On behalf of the citizens of the Second District of Oregon, I am proud to recognize Mike's numerous achievements and to wish him the best as he enters a well- deserved retirement.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I plan to support this legislation, as I supported the House legislation, to clear up the public's airwaves and punish those broadcasters who violate the law and the standards of the community that they are licensed to serve. I am perhaps the only Member of the House of Representatives who is a broadcast licensee. For 20 years, my wife and I have owned and operated radio stations in Oregon. I grew up in a pioneer broadcast family. I rise tonight, however, to express concern about the FCC's recent decisions regarding indecency and profanity. Frankly, the decisions of the Commission leave me and many of my colleagues in the broadcast world a bit confused about where the boundaries are, which has been a problem for the Commission for many years. The Commission found that certain words, which we would find very offensive, could be used in the context of airing Saving Private Ryan. However, perhaps words that would be found less offensive could not be used in an episode of NYPD Blue. Mr. Chairman, given the tenfold increase in fines that this legislation authorizes, I think it is exceedingly important for broadcast licensees to have a clear understanding of the rules from the FCC. So I would ask you to lend your good office to encourage the FCC to achieve clarification in these areas. I think it is also important, Mr. Speaker, that Americans understand what we are doing here tonight only affects over-the-air public airwaves, radio and television broadcast licensees. If you think that the TV in your family room is suddenly going to have every program cleaned up, you are mistaken, because we are not allowed at this point to deal with issues involving cable television or satellite television or satellite radio. Indeed, when we began having hearings on this very issue of profanity in the radio broadcast spectrum, one of the individuals who probably caused the most ruckus on the public airwaves shifted over to satellite radio so that he could carry on there unfettered. I realize these are subscription services, but I think for many Americans, when they catch cable television in their homes, they don't really differentiate any more about the four channels that may be public broadcast channels, over-the-air broadcasts, from those that are on up the dial for the next 400. So they may wonder why it is that we can take this action tonight against licensees of the Federal Government. Now, cable services do have the ability to regulate individually within the home and block certain programs, so perhaps parents will take it upon themselves to self-regulate the home. Meanwhile, broadcasters are going to need clarification when the fines are going to be increased ten-fold, and not all broadcasters are parts of conglomerates. Some are mom-and-pop operators in small communities across America who rise to the challenges of serving their communities in times of natural disaster and just in terms of community events. They will need this guidance because a fine of $32,500 today on the books could bankrupt many of those small, independent broadcasters. Mr. Speaker, I hope you will work to clarify this so the broadcasters know the rules under which they need to operate and do not violate them unintentionally.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership in this area as we clean up the public air waves and also come to standards that are clearly understood by all so that inadvertent violations do not occur. And also, a recognition of small- market broadcasters versus the big major ones where even $300,000 may seem insignificant in their revenue stream.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar).

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am trying to figure out the gentleman's arguments, because I have here the Congressional Budget Office cost estimate for the Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act, and it talks about how if H.R. 4200 would pass, it would increase proceeds from salvage sales on average by 40 percent. Assuming the agencies would phase in the use of the new procedures over several years, we estimate increased receipts would begin in 2008 and total $122 million over the 2008 through 2016 period. Now, they go through and have a bunch of other numbers they work through on what would be offset, but the long and short of it is that over the next 7 years, it is something like $21 million additional to the Treasury simply by eliminating the bureaucratic red tape that delays the projects until the trees have no value. So the fiscally prudent argument here is to follow the only number sheet I can find, the Congressional Budget Office report, where the experts have evaluated the bill independently of any politics and said this bill makes money, and it makes sense. Now, let us go to the bill. On page 25 of the manager's amendment, it talks about this issue of roadless. We were sensitive to this issue. We addressed this issue. And it requires that any preapproved management practice may not authorize any permanent road building, and any temporary road constructed as part of a preapproved management practice shall be obliterated upon conclusion of the practice and the road area restored to the extent practicable. Now, some people will say, well, that is just in the statute. That is just in the law. They don't do it now, they won't do it then, whatever. They will make it up. The contracts also require this. The contracts written by the Forest Service that are entered into as a legal, binding document will require a bond, will require obliteration. They work all that out there, but the statute backs it up and says obliterate the temporary roads. So it is all part of the management practice that would go on, and it is codified here in the statute. So I just am not quite sure where the gentleman is going with all this. The new roadless rule allows each of the 38 States with roadless areas to participate in the development of their own State's specific plan. A lot of these States are undergoing that now, and we should let them have that local authority to help guide the Federal Government in that planning. Simply put, if a forest plan prohibits road building in an area, then this legislation prohibits that, because the underlying forest plans are what dictates what happens. Roadless stays roadless. H.R. 4200 will not create any new permanent roads. The only roads allowed are temporary roads, which must be removed after completion of the project. It is in the statute we propose that the Congress pass. So we have put it in statute. I am sure it is also in the contracts that get negotiated, and we have been very clear on this. So I would urge opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Chairman, I urge opposition to the amendment. I yield the balance of the time to the chairman of the full Resources Committee, Mr. Pombo.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Washington (Miss McMorris) to speak in favor of the Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act. Miss McMORRIS. Madam Chairman, I thank the chairman for yielding. I, too, just want to rise in support of this legislation and applaud the leadership of those who have been working on this legislation that is so important to move quickly to restore forests, key watersheds, wildlife habitat, and stabilize our soils. It is not acceptable that we continue to see thousands of acres burn because of forest fires, because of poor management on our forests, big kill, and we have these catastrophic situations take place when we are not able to take action. I wanted to specifically speak to the provisions related to the National Environmental Policy Act, NEPA. I have been working on chairing a task force, and although I applaud the authors of NEPA, who truly were visionary for their time, I do believe there is an opportunity for us to improve the implementation of NEPA 35 years later. It is unfortunate that so often this is the law used through paperwork or bureaucratic means to prevent us from really taking action that is needed on our forests. Northeastern Washington is known for its vast public forests that span over 2.6 million acres of land. These forests, and the resulting timber, play an extremely important role in our region's economy. Maintaining healthy forests is essential to those who make a living from the land and for those of us who use them for others purposes. Unfortunately, there are a number of critical issues that impact the health and the economic stability of the forests in our region. One of my top priorities in Congress is to grow our economy and in order to do this we must protect our natural resources. Currently, the Colville Forest is dying faster than it is being maintained, leaving a large number of dead or dying trees susceptible to disease, insect infestation, and future wildfires. I have also been interested in exploring issues affecting post-fire rehabilitation. Immediate restoration work on forests following catastrophic events is essential for reforestation and rehabilitation to be successful. As the chair of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) task force, I have unfortunately discovered that legal and procedural delays have become the norm, leaving vast areas of national forest land barren of trees for decades. This has lead to devastating impacts on wildlife habitat, soil stability and water quality. In my district last year, just south of Pomeroy, Washington, the School Fire started on August 5th and over 13 days burned nearly 50,000 acres, destroying 215 homes, recreational cabins and outbuildings. According to James Agee, a University of Washington forest ecologist and professor who specialize in dry forest fire ecology said the area burned by the School Fire likely will take about 150 years to grow back if we let Mother Nature takes it course. That is simply not acceptable. I co-sponsored the Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act because our forests, and the resulting timber, play an extremely important role in the economy in the Pacific Northwest. Maintaining healthy forests is essential to those who make a living from the land and for those of us who use them for recreational purposes. Eastern Washington has experienced a number of deadly forest fires this season, and it is crucial that we have bipartisan legislation that will expedite the research and restoration process.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Hayworth). (Mr. HAYWORTH asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird), my friend and colleague, the coauthor of this legislation.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 30 seconds, and I understand I have 2 minutes remaining. I just want to say that this bill grants no new authority to build roads anywhere, anytime. To say so is to make it up. It is that simple. It does not say go build roads anywhere, anytime. That is not a new authority in this bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird).

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Why, Madam Chairman, indeed I do. I rise in opposition and seek the time.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this legislation today. H.R. 4200 comes before you today after more than 2 years of work by Representatives Baird, Herseth, Goodlatte, Gilchrest, myself and many others. Mr. Speaker, we have worked on more than 50 drafts of this legislation in an open and inclusive process, deliberately in an attempt to produce legislation that carefully reduces the obstacles to forest recovery following catastrophic events such as massive wildfires, blowdowns and ice storms. Mr. Speaker, we moved the bill successfully through the House Resources Committee on a 25-13 bipartisan vote, and through the House Agriculture Committee by a 36-3 bipartisan vote, easily defeating all opposing amendments. The Congressional Budget Office score, while showing an initial cost of $5 million in the first year, shows the bill will reduce spending by the Federal Government by $21 million from 2007 through 2011, and will generate hundreds of millions of dollars in net revenue for the land management agencies. Mr. Speaker, this poster next to me here shows what happens on our Federal forests in terms of replanting costs and salvage value. The longer you take to replant a forest, the more it costs. The longer you wait to salvage, if that is the plan, the less value you get out of it. This is pretty simple science, pretty simple and explanatory math that explains what we are trying to accomplish here. Salvage sooner, plant sooner, restore the forest quicker. We come to you today with 146 cosponsors; the support of hundreds of organizations and thousands of forest and conservation professionals; wildland firefighting organizations, the real ones, the ones that actually represent thousands and thousands of the people who put their lives on the line to extinguish the fires in our forest. Organizations representing labor have weighed in strongly in support of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I will insert into the Record at this point letters that I have received and others have in support of this legislation. Federal Wildland Fire Service Association, Inkom, ID. Hon. Greg Walden, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Congressman Walden: The FWFSA is a nation-wide employee association comprised of federal wildland firefighters from the five land-management agencies. Our membership spans the breadth of fire positions from entry- level firefighters to Forest Fire & Aviation Chiefs. We have been asked to review HR 4200, The Forest Emergency Recovery & Research Act and to provide our thoughts on this legislative proposal. We are cognizant of the frequent debate regarding forest policies and quite candidly often find ourselves in the middle of such debates. However in reviewing HR 4200, we are looking for the impact to our firefighter's health and welfare. We have reviewed documents in support of the measure as well as documents opposing it. With all due respect to those that oppose this legislation, we don't believe many of their positions or conclusions are plausible. In looking at the legislation strictly from a wildland firefighter standpoint, this organization believes the Forest Emergency Recovery & Research Act is a common sense approach to addressing a number of complex issues. Therefore we are pleased to offer our support of this measure. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. With warm regards, Casey Judd, Business Manager.

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon

Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill, H.R. 4200.