67 



was going to be a coordination between the agencies in addressing 

 the problems of the Northwest. 



Looking at it from the perspective of somebody in the agencies, 

 it is clear that those coordinating mechanisms are in place and 

 that we have teams working across made up of representatives 

 from Forest Service, BLM, Fish and Wildlife Service being assem- 

 bled and at work right now both to plan for the Forestry Con- 

 ference and the follow-up activities. 



So there is the mechanism being in place to coordinate the activi- 

 ties of certainly the Federal agencies. 



Mr. Vento. Dr. Tillman, do you want to comment on that ques- 

 tion? 



Dr. Tillman. It is true the mechanisms are in place that we 

 could do this. In our case, the actions are being handled by our 

 Northwest Regional Office, and I am aware there have been staff 

 contacts with regard to these things. 



Mr. Vento. At the 1991 salmon conference, or summit, that I 

 think Senator Hatfield organized, the Forest Service committed to 

 updating its allotment, its grazing allotment plans to protect salm- 

 on from livestock. 



I have here a letter from Regional Forester John Lowe saying the 

 Forest Service is backing off from this commitment. 



Mr. Leonard, can you respond to Mr. Lowe's concern about the 

 grazing update? 



Mr. Leonard. Yes, we recognize the absolute need to get on with 

 updating those allotment management plans. However, subsequent 

 to the salmon summit, we had the listing of a number of species 

 of salmon, and in order to maintain ongoing operations, we have 

 had to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service over lit- 

 erally thousands of ongoing activities. 



We simply had to pull some of our fisheries' biologists and wild- 

 life biologists off of the allotment management plans to keep these 

 ongoing programs going. What we have been successful in doing, 

 though, is increasing the ground oversight of grazing activities, so 

 that we are, we think that we are making some progress in ensur- 

 ing that the people are, permittees are managing their wildlife on 

 the Federal ranges in an appropriate manner. 



But we absolutely have to get on with that job of getting our al- 

 lotment management plans in line with the forest plans, but also 

 with our current understanding of the requirements that we need 

 for fisheries, which are going beyond where we 



Mr. Vento. Obviously, new requirements would also be involved 

 for any type of harvest, I guess. But one of the points is, the gang 

 of four that had developed the various recommendations at the be- 

 hest of the House congressional committees, the three Chairmen of 

 Agriculture, Interior and Merchant Marine, they suggested that no 

 roads should be built in roadless areas and key watersheds. 



Do the scientists that you have with you today, have they exam- 

 ined that and would they comment on this recommendation from 

 the gang of four? 



Mr. Leonard. I think they have more than examined it. They 

 were the participants who made those recommendations. 



Mr. Vento. Okay. So they are making the recommendations and 

 now we just have to get the Forest Service to follow it, I guess. 



