Date: 2003-11-21
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I. too. want to join in this in thanking Members on both sides of tho aisle for their participation and cooperation in this legislation. As the gentleman from Oregon noted. we started some 2 years ago .with the gentleman from Colorado and others talking about what would be possible. The gentleman from Oregon and we came up with what we thought was possible. we did not make it. went back this year and continued that process. And we passed a bill out of the House. a bill that I did not agree with in its entirety by any means. but then the Senate was also able to pass legislation. And as a result of those negotiations. which I wish had been a little bit more open. but the fact of the matter is as a result of those negotiations. we now have this. we will have this bill before us later today. And I want to thank the Committee on Rules for providing us this opportunity. Mr. Speaker. let me just say this one point. I wish the firefighter protections that had been offered and accepted in the Senate. they were offered by Senator BoXER of California. would have been kept in the bill. I think it is important now as we see these larger. more catastrophic fires. as we see fires that move through residential areas. to understand tnat the firefighters there are put in jeopardy from many other things besides just the fires themselves. but also the chemicals and building materials and the rest of it that are caught up in these huge winds created by the fires. But let me say as to the bill. I think this is a bill that is a vast improvement over what left the House. In this compromise. in this conference report we will target half of the appropriated money into those areas most likely to have the most catastrophic fires. The rest of the money can be used in forest treatment and other areas of the national forest. That is important. It is also important that we involve the communities. and communities can come up with those plans that they think serve their area best. Hopefully. they will use community resources. small businesses. and others to develop those plans. People are also entitled to have some review of those plans. But what this bill does not allow you to do is to drag the process out forever. forever and ever. You have got to come in. make your case. you made it or you have not made it. But those rights are p )tected. and you can appeal that to coL t. Some people do not like the fact that the bill extends the urban interface area out to a mile and a half. The fact of the matter is when you see the size of some of these fires. the treatment in the urban interface area is nothing more than a firebreak. And a little tiny area is not going to stop some of these fires that we have seen over the last decade in the West. Finally. with respect to the treatment in the larger forest. the goods for services contracts are still alJowed. but as the gentleman from Oregon pointed out. the important part of this bill. what Senator FEINSTEIN was able to do was get an authorized amount of money in here. because if we just do it on goods for services. we will either have to cut down all the trees to save them in order to get enough money to carry out the project. or we will not be able to treat those areas. as we saw in southern California. of negligible timber value but high risk to the communities. And so we need to have an appropriation to follow this authorization so we can treat those areas of high intensity. of great potential of catastrophic fires. the potential to engulf communities. We have got to go there with some Federal dollars and some goods for services. And I think that is a balance that makes sense. I spend several weeks a year backpacking in the high country and the forests and parks of this country. You do not have to walk very long in the forest to see the need for treatment. If you love the big old trees. as the gentleman from Oregon again pointed out. you have got to understand that we have allowed a ladder to build up in these forests. And the big ponderosas. the big sugar pines are at risk because of the understory. the undergrowth that is there that will take the flames right into the crowns. And. obviously. once in the crowns. with any wind they move so fast that we cannot deal with them. So. Mr. Speaker. I would like to say that I think that this is a product that the House should vote for. Members on both sides of the aisle should support this. It is very. very important to so many of our communities and very important to the stewardship of our natural resources.