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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2000 --
(Extensions of Remarks - July 14, 1999)
[Page: E1541] GPO's PDF
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SPEECH OF
HON. DIANA DeGETTE
OF COLORADO
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, JULY 13, 1999
The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under
consideration the bill (H.R. 2466) making appropriations for the Department of
the Interior and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000,
and for other purposes.
- Ms. DEGETTE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my support for
the amendment offered by the gentleman from California.
- Mr. Chairman, we don't need any more timber roads. Construction of timber
roads uses U.S. taxpayer dollars to pay for the business costs of the timber
industry, and results in the degradation of soil, water quality and wildlife
habitat.
- We have over 440,000 miles of roads in our National Forests, the vast
majority of which are for logging. If you pull out your calculator, Mr.
Chairman, you'll find that 440,000 miles is enough to encircle the globe 17
times; that's ten times more road miles than we have in the Interstate Highway
System.
- These timber roads initiate erosion of soil, deposit sedimentation into
streams, damage water quality, degrade fish habitat, fragment wildlife
habitat, disrupt wildlife migration routes, and destroy the quiet beauty of
our National Forests. The taxpayer ends up paying the cost for these
damages--and too often the damage cannot be undone. These timber roads also
give timber companies subsidized access to our natural resources. I don't
think that's smart horse-trading, Mr. Chairman.
- Over the recent recess I took a three-day hiking and horseback trip
through some of the beautiful federal lands in my home state of Colorado. Over
each hilltop, crossing each stream and river, coming across beautiful vistas,
one after another--I found myself thinking what an unforgivable crime it would
be to squander these resources. The next time my colleagues return to their
districts, I urge them to take to the natural areas , and see first hand what I'm
speaking about. I returned from my trip resolved to redouble my attempts to
conserve these resources for future generations.