Copyright 1999 Federal Document Clearing House, Inc.
Federal Document Clearing House Congressional Testimony
February 23, 1999, Tuesday
SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY
LENGTH: 2222 words
HEADLINE:
TESTIMONY February 23, 1999 JAMES R. LYONS HOUSE RESOURCES
FORESTS AND FOREST HEALTH F 2000 FOREST SERVICE BUDGET
BODY:
STATEMENT OF THE HON. JAMES R. LYONS UNDER
SECRETARY NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Before the HOUSE COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES SUBCOMMITTEE ON FORESTS AND FOREST
HEALTH FOREST SERVICE FISCAL YEAR 2000 BUDGET February 23, 1999 Madam Chairman,
Congressman Smith, Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to
appear before you today to discuss the Forest Service's proposed budget for
Fiscal Year 2000. I would like to present a brief overview of our budget request
and highlight some of the priorities we've identified in terms of three broad
areas. Chief Dombeck will address these and other areas in greater detail. The
three areas I want to highlight are; 1) the priorities of the President and the
Department of Agriculture in managing the rich natural resources of this
nation's forest and range lands; 2) the Forest Service priorities under the
leadership of Chief Dombeck to implement the service's Natural Resource Agenda;
and 3) the emphasis being placed on the Forest Service to be accountable to
Congress and the American people for its performance and use of federal funds.
Last year when I testified before several committees, including this one, I
stated that despite the contentious debates on several Forest Service management
issues, Congress and the Administration have more agreement than we do
disagreement. Despite the differences regarding budget priorities and several
environmental riders which were part of the fiscal year 1999 appropriations
debate, we worked together and developed a bill which helped the Forest Service
move forward towards improved forest and ecological health and sustainability. I
continue to believe we have common interests, and greater agreement than
disagreement, although I'm sure we will be involved in tough debate again over
this year's budget. First, a brief overview. This budget proposes an overall
increase in discretionary appropriations of 6.5 percent. The budget includes a
healthy emphasis on the basic programs necessary for managing the agency's 192
million acres, which include a $30 billion infrastructure, 383,000 miles of
road, 74,000 authorized land uses, 23,000 developed recreation sites, and
uncounted dispersed recreation sites. In addition, the budget proposes a
substantial increase of $37.2 million to enhance the agency's leading role in
forest and rangeland research. Finally, the budget proposes major increases in
State and Private Forestry programs, which is a key element of the President's
initiatives. President and Department Priorities Let me turn now to the
important priorities of this Administration. As you know, the President has
proposed several initiatives in the fiscal year 2000 budget including two that
were first initiated as part of the fiscal year 1999 budget. Principally, the
President's goal in fiscal year 2000 is to develop Forest Service programs that
help assure that all the nation's lands, not just National Forest lands, provide
clean water for the taps of faucets, open spaces and expanded recreation
opportunities for rural and urban residents alike, and improved sustainability
of products, wildlife, and biodiversity on healthy public and private lands.
Thus, the President has proposed the Lands Legacy Initiative,
the largest one year investment ever in the preservation of America's lands, and
the continuation of the Clean Water Action plan to continue to focus on priority
watersheds where protection and improvement programs are so desperately needed.
Madam Chairman, I believe the Lands Legacy Initiative is bold
and essential for America as we enter the new millennium. This $1 billion
program, which includes $217.6 million in Forest Service funding, will focus on
working with states, tribes, local governments, and willing private partners to
protect great places, conserve open space for recreation and wildlife, and to
preserve forests, farmlands, and coastal areas. Currently, 30 million people
live within an hour drive of national forest land. As the President noted in his
State of the Union address, 7,000 acres of farmland and open space are lost
every day. The number of tracts of forestland of 50 acres or less doubled from
1978 to 1994 as our landscape was carved into smaller pieces. Access to, and the
health of, these lands is diminishing as a result of this fragmentation. To
address these serious concerns, the President's budget proposes to significantly
increase funding of the agency's State and Private Forestry Programs, with an
increase of $80 million or 48% over fiscal year 1999. With this increase we will
focus on promoting the retention of open space and smart growth that will
provide conservation opportunities and experiences for many additional millions
of Americans. The Forest Service is the national expert at providing recreation
to the public through family oriented recreation such the Sunday drive, weekend
camping trip, short family hike, or week long backpack or rafting trips. The
Lands Legacy initiative, through emphasis on State and Private
Programs and increased Land Acquisitions promotes this type of recreational
access as well promoting the availability of clean water, healthy watersheds,
and open space. The national forests are the watersheds for more than 902
communities in 33 states. Many millions of additional people depend on water
provided from other forested lands. Through emphasis on state and private
partnerships, which promote smart growth acquisitions and easements, more
Americans will be assured of long term access to public land and the clean water
it provides. The fiscal year 2000 budget contains several additional initiatives
that are important to note. As was proposed last year, the Administration again
intends to forward legislation that will stabilize payments to states. I believe
it is essential to provide these payments through a process that does not link
the output of forest products to the education of our rural school children or
the quality of the roads used by their parents. if enacted, the legislation will
result in long term predictability of payments that the states and counties of
America need. Other legislative initiatives are important aspects of this
budget, including proposals to maximize return to the government for authorized
uses of national forest land to improve forest visitor experiences. The
President also will propose legislation which requires purchasers who harvest
timber and special forest products from national forests, pay fair market value
for these products and a greater share of the costs of managing these programs,
thus reducing the use of appropriations. Natural Resource Agenda The President's
initiatives are fully compatible with the aggressive program initiated by Chief
Dombeck last March which established the Natural Resource Agenda. I am proud to
support this four point program which focuses agency attention on watershed
protection and restoration, sustainable forest management, the forest service
road system, and the critical recreation program. This budget strongly supports
the Natural Resource Agenda with significant funding increases. Wildlife,
grazing, fire, fisheries, and other programs increase by $48.6 million to
support watershed health and restoration. Increased funding contained in this
budget is essential for restoring and protecting watershed health. A second
element of the agenda promotes sustainable forest management. With proposed
budget increases of $113.2 million, programs such as Forest and Rangeland
Research, in addition to the State and Private programs I have already
mentioned, will engage coalitions among communities, conservationists, industry,
and all levels of government to collaborate and integrate management of national
forest lands with those practices on state, tribal, local and non-industrial
private lands in order to promote long term land health. Management of the
national forest road system is a third component of the Natural Resource Agenda.
With a funding increase of $22.6 million, this road system, which is expansive
enough to circle the globe more than 15 times, will receive critically needed
funds for maintenance. As you know, Secretary Glickman recently announced a new
interim rule for road management. While this issue is very contentious, all of
us can agree that the national forest road system is critical to land health and
is essential to meet the recreation and livelihood of millions of Americans.
Simply put, I strongly support Chief Dombeck in his effort to significantly
reduce new road building until we are better able to manage the road system we
presently have. The President's budget will provide increased funds for road
maintenance and allow the Forest Service to implement road management plans for
America's long term access and land health needs. Lastly, as part of the Natural
Resource Agenda, the President's budget continues to provide strong emphasis on
recreation. The Forest Service is the largest supplier of recreation in the
United States. We are pleased with the emphasis Congress has also shown in
promoting recreation. The Recreation Fee Demonstration Program is one such
example, and a resounding success. Through this program, we have improved
facilities and the visitor's experiences at fee sites. However, I want to
emphasize that 95% of recreational experiences on the national forests involve
use of non-fee dispersed sites. The President's budget continues to emphasize
this area of recreational use through appropriated funds. I strongly encourage
your continued support of these appropriations in order to continue quality
experiences for those who use the forests for highly dispersed activities, and
who are either unable to pay for use of these sites, are not close to fee sites,
or who desire to recreate in the undeveloped non-fee areas of the national
forests. Also in support of the Natural Resource Agenda, I want to note that the
Committee of Scientists, commissioned by the Secretary to review land and
resource management planning processes, are soon to release their landmark
report. Shortly thereafter the Forest Service will complete preparation of
proposed land management planning regulations which will guide future revisions
to land management plans. These regulations are long overdue. I am confident
when implemented these regulations will result in a long-range planning
framework suited to accomplish sound resource management in accordance with
environmental laws and the mission of the Forest Service. Forest Service
Accountability The success of the Natural Resource Agenda and the initiatives
proposed by the President are critical to long term health and conservation of
the national forests and the nation's state, local, and nonindustrial private
lands. Effective Forest Service leadership is what will facilitate these long
term successes. However, leadership will not be successful if the Forest Service
does not aggressively address what can only be described as severe lapses in its
financial management and overall performance accountability. As you know, the
agency's financial health, decision making, and overall accountability has been
scrutinized and extensively criticized in more than 20 studies initiated by
Congress, the Department, and internally. Let me say, I have no doubt the Forest
Service has got the message! Through reorganization and placement of
professionals in top leadership positions, the agency has placed the financial
management role in a position that assures attention and oversight in equal
stature and priority to its natural resources management agenda. While I believe
it is important for Congress to actively perform its oversight of the agency's
financial condition, I believe it is also important to ask for some degree of
patience. The agency's books and records took a decade or more to turn sour. It
will take at least the rest of fiscal year 1999 to implement a new general
ledger and at least through fiscal year 2000 to receive a clean financial
opinion. Meanwhile, it is clear the Forest Service is taking action to improve.
This includes paying detailed attention to management of indirect costs,
restructuring the process for charging overhead to permanent and trust funds,
and actively working on implementing performance measures consistent with the
Results Act, which should ultimately lead to proposals for a revised budget
structure that reflects the integrated nature of work it accomplishes on the
ground. Madam Chairman , in my testimony today I have discussed important
Presidential initiatives, the Natural Resource Agenda, and progress being made
to improve agency accountability in relation to the fiscal year 2000 budget.
These three areas represent important areas of change for the Forest Service as
we approach the next century. I am confident that with your support we can work
together to build a Forest Service program that accomplishes long term land
health objectives, delivers clean water, provides quality access, assures
diverse recreational opportunities for greater numbers of Americans, and
continues providing strong livelihoods for communities for generations to come.
Thank you for the opportunity to address you. I would be pleased to answer any
questions you may have.
LOAD-DATE: February 25, 1999
