133 



TIM JOHNSON 



AGRICULTURE 

 NATURAL RESOURCES 



CongrcsB of the lanited States 

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STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE TIM JOHNSON 



SENATE SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE 



HEARING ON PUBLIC LAND USE IMPACT ON SMALL BUSINESS 



SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 4, 1993 



HOWARD JOHNSON LODGE, RAPID CITY. SD 



I want to thank Senator Pressler and the Senate Small Business Committee for holding this 

 important field heating to look at and discuss public land use policies and their impact on 

 small business here in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The management of the Black 

 Hills National Forest is an important issue in both South Dakota and Wyoming and has a 

 tremendous impact on many sectors of the local economy. It is important to hear from all 

 of those sectors of the economy, and the testimony received today should provide 

 additional insights into the impacts on small business and the environment. 



1 look forward to reviewing the testimony of those participating in an effort to better inform 

 myself as to the impact of public land use on small business. As a member of the House 

 Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture, I have 

 participated in many hearings, debates and discussions on various public land use policies 

 and their impacts on both the economy and the environment. 



Increasingly, public land management decisions involve finding fair, common-sense 

 balances between environmental and economic issues. Most of these issues are very 

 complex and there is no clear answer, so the task is to devise the best possible solution. 



The Black Hills have had a long history of settlement and development since the late 1800's 

 and have been home to logging, sawmills, mining, grazing, recreation, camping, biking, 

 and tourism ever since. The Black Hills National Forest is also unique in many ways in 

 comparison to other national forests in the West, including a high number of private 

 inboldings that creates a checker-board map and various management issues. 



THIS STATIONERY PRINTED ON PAPER MADE WITH RECYCLED FIBERS 



