Date: 1988-08-08
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 4354. as amended. the Winding Stair Mountain National Recreation and Wilderness Area Act and urge my colleagues to support Its passage. H.R. 4354. as amended. will protect various resource values on the Ouachita National Forest in the State of Oklahoma. Through the designation of several wilderness and special management areas. the bill would protect wildlife and its habitat. scenic and aesthetic values. recreation opportunities. and natural diversity of animal and plant species. The Ouachita National Forest encompasses lands in both Arkansas and Oklahoma. H.R. 4354 affects only * those lands In the Ouachita National Forest within Le Flore County. OK. which accounts for approximately 200.000 acres of the Forest. This area contains resources that are particular. ly significant and unique. including impressive mountain scenery. two popular scenic roadways. and an abundance of wildlife. The Subcommittee on Forests. Family Farms. and Energy of the Committee on Agriculture has considAugust 8. 1.988 ered the matters addressed in H.R. 4354 on two separate occasions. In January 1980 the subcommittee held a field hearing in Poteau. OK. to receive testimony from local residents on wilderness issues and the management of the Ouachita National Forest. Then. in June 1988. the subcommittee convened a hearing to consider the provisions of H.R. 4354. as introduced by our distinguished colleage from Oklahoma. Mr. Watkins. The bill. as reported by the Committee on Agriculture. was amended to address several concerns. H.R. 4354. as introduced. provided specific guidelines for the management of Ouachita National Forest lands in LeFlore County. OK. not given special designation by this bill. through the use of detailed timber management prescriptions. The bill proposed to set in statute the maximum size of clearcuts. their distribution and frequency. and other specific management requirements. The committee recognizes the concerns of local residents regarding management practices on the Ouachita National Forestin particular. the use of clearcutting and the practice of converting forest stands from hardwood species to pine. However. the committee was concerned that the enactment into law of management prescriptions for large areas of National Forest System lands. other than those designated as wilderness. sets a dangerous precedent. The existing land and resource planning process properly allows the opportunity for periodic review of forest management directions. The amendment adopted by the committee deletes the management directives for the nondesignated areas contained in H.R. 4354. as introduced. It does. however. retain specific management direction for certain designated areas of the forest. where unevenaged management to provide for mixed hardwood and conifer forests is prescribed. The committee believes that it is important that the Forest Service maintain the flexibility it requires to be able to make local forest management decision based upon local resource conditions. public concerns. and management needs. Unfortunately. past management practices on the Ouachita National Forest have led local residents to seek to limit future management options on the Ouachita National Forest. preferring to see management direction for certain areas set by statute rather than prescribed by Forest Service personnel. The committee expects that. in the future. the Forest Service will be cognizant of citizen concerns in administering the Ouachita National Forest and will manage the forest in accordance with all applicable laws. sound scientific Judgment. and full public participation. Mr. Speaker. I commend my colleague. Mr. WATKIIfS. for his determined and diligent efforts to craft a compromise bill that addresses the concerns of all those who have an interest in the future of the Ouachita National Forest. H.R. 4354. as amended. is an acceptable compromise for protecting important areas of the forest while providing for its future management in accordance with an approved forest plan. I urge my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 4354. as amended. Mr. Speaker. we are very happy that we were able to work with our distinguished colleague from Minnesota and our distinguished colleague from Oklahoma on this endeavor. Besides our desire to assist the gentleman from Oklahoma. I had neglected to mention that I had a very personal interest in this matter. Some years ago when I was a young Second Lieutenant at Fort Sill. OK. I roamed the wilderness areas of the Ouachita National Forest and the Winding Stair Trail. Young officers or enlisted men in the military availed themselves of this beautiful area. We had much time and little money. I am glad that the distinguished gentleman from Oklahoma has seen fit to introduce this legislation and that our colleague from Minnesota has seen the value in preserving these evirons for the future benefit of anyone who might serve in the military at Fort Sill. OK. or any other military base in Oklahoma. I thank the gentleman for what it did for me in the past and hope that now and in the future it may help other young military personnel in that area.