Republican Party Endorses Timber Industry Policies
8/29/96
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Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 15:48:28 -0400 (EDT)
To: grnmt@sover.net
From: grnmt@sover.net (Mathew Jacobson)
Subject: Forest News
BOB DOLE AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ENDORSE TIMBER
INDUSTRY POLICIES
During a July 29 speech in Redding, California, Presidential candidate
Sen. Bob Dole (R) attacked President Clinton's forest policy for logging
cutbacks under Option 9, and for failing to wholeheartedly implement the
Logging Rider. Dole estimated 20,000 job losses in the region, but the
Clinton Administration quickly responded that state employment statistics
show as increase in timber related jobs under his tenure. Dole spoke
proudly about the rider saying that, "After years of court battles (brought
on by two Republican Administration's failure to follow the law), last year
we passed a measure to expedite the sale of salvaged timber and to
rehabilitate the areas burned in the fires of 1994. When I'm President of
the United States, we're not going to play games with the timber industry.
I'm going to be on your side. When I'm elected that will happen."
Dole's words are echoed by the Republican Party Platform: "We stand
for sustainable forestry to stabilize and provide continuity for our timber
industry and to improve the health of the country's public forests. This
requires active management practices, such as the responsible salvage
harvesting of dead and diseased trees. The Democrat's hands-off approach
has made our great forests vulnerable to ravaging fires, insects and
disease. The Democrat's policies have devastated the economy of timber-
dependent communities across the Pacific Northwest and in the Tongass NF,
to please elite special interests." The Platform also endorses a review of
all public lands with a goal of transferring lands to State or county
governments; continued grazing on public lands and an end to Clinton's
range war; and the platform fully supports the Mining Law of 1872.
The House Resources Committee Home Page announces more detailed
policy prescriptions for our public forests. They include increasing
funding for the timber program to increase the amount of logging on the
National Forests; increasing funding for logging roads; transferring lands
to the states because they can manage the lands more efficiently than the
federal government; and increased logging in the Ancient Forests. The
Resources Committee defends the logging rider as does the House Republican
Leadership. In a memo entitled "The Common Sense Congress" released by the
House Republican Conference, the Logging Rider was listed among the
"Accomplishments of the 104th Congress."
Mathew Jacobson
Green Mountain Forest Watch
48 Elliot St *Brattleboro, VT 05301 * (802) 257-4878 * (FAX) 257-8529
VISIT THE Green Mountain Forest Watch HOMEPAGE
http://www.sover.net/~grnmt/