June 20, 2000
MARK GREEN
8TH DISTRICT, WISCONSIN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For additional information or
comment from Rep. Green,
contact:
Chris Tuttle (office) 202-226-7402
(pager) 800-759-8888
PIN#1754041
Green denounces Forest Service plans again at public meeting
CRANDON – U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-Green Bay) – in Washington this week for votes in Congress – had the following comments read into the record by a representative at a public meeting Tuesday night on the U.S. Forest Service’s proposed "Roadless Areas Initiative."
"The purpose of this testimony is to share my continued concerns and frustrations with the administration’s proposed roadless policy. I appreciate the opportunity to enter my comments into the public record today.
"I want to start by thanking Chequamegon-Nicolet forest officials for holding this meeting, and I hope and trust that what you hear today will be sent to your superiors in Washington. I also want to take this opportunity to say that my frustrations all along have been focused on the White House and senior Interior Department officials rather than at Forest Service representatives from the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. I think we all know these policies have their origin at the highest level. In fact, I recently received a copy of a resolution passed by local 2165 of the National Federation of Federal Employees, which represents all of the employees of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, outlining their strong concerns with the roadless initiative. That’s right, even the people who are charged with managing the forests on a day to day basis recognize the problems with this type of one-size fits all Washington policy.
"Northeastern Wisconsin is currently under siege with several overlapping policies that will directly impact our access to the forests. I find it disturbing that we face several simultaneous policies on the future of our forests as this administration comes to a close. My greatest concern with this roadless policy is that it seems to be one part in an overall trend towards locking the public out of our public lands and raising troubling questions for the communities, businesses, and people who live as neighbors to our nation’s treasured woodlands.
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GREEN ROADLESS AREA MEETING COMMENTS
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"Earlier this year, I held a series of town hall meetings on our forests and the roadless initiative. Not surprisingly, hundreds of people showed up for these meetings to express their concerns with this proposal and the general attitude of the Clinton Administration towards forest management policies. At the time of these meetings, I expressed my frustration with the lack of specific answers to the critical issues facing our communities, particularly access to the forest and local control over local areas.
"When a local timber worker asks if these policies will eventually stand in the way of his paycheck, I think he is entitled to an answer. When an individual asks whether he will be able to ride his snowmobile on his favorite trails, I think he is entitled to an answer. When a community leader asks if she is going to be able to have some control over these policies that could so significantly change her community’s way of life, I think she is entitled to an answer.
"Unfortunately, the people of northeastern Wisconsin stand here as Washington throws one proposal after another in their direction. When is it going to stop? What are the real goals of this administration?"
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