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RESOURCES 



The effects of air pollutants on the forest resources are of major 

 concern to us. The Forest Service manages 191.5 million acres of 

 National Forests and Grasslands in 42 States. About 34 million acres 

 of this land is Congressionally designated as wilderness. 

 Eighty-eight Wilderness areas, encompassing 14.9 million acres are 

 afforded special protection as Prevention of Significant 

 Deterioration (PSD) class l areas under the Clean Air Act. Seventy 

 one of the Class I areas containing about 93 percent of the Class I 

 acres are in 10 western states. In the East, although the total Class 

 I acerage is relatively small, the Class I areas occur in more States 

 than in the West. A list of these Class I areas was provided to the 

 subcommittee. 



Summarize the existing visibility programs of the Department of 

 Agriculture. Discuss whether you view them as adequate to protect and 

 enhance air quality in Class I areas, and, if not, what improvment 

 should be necessary to make them effective. 



The Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990, directs the Forest Service as a 

 Federal land manager to: (1) review and make recommendations to 

 States regarding their' proposals to redesignate Federal lands to Class 

 I; (2) protect air quality related values in Class I areas; (3) ensure, 

 conformity with State implementation plans (SIP) for emissions of 

 regulated air pollutants from lands and facilities administered by the 

 Forest Service; and .(4) participate as an ex-officio member of 

 Visibility Transport Commissions, which evaluate visibility in Class I 



