39 



that would increase fire risk on national forests, I think the Forest 

 Service and I think some of the laws Congress has passed, includ- 

 ing the salvage rider, have allowed our forest at greater risk, and 

 I think you will hear the Forest Service tell you and professional 

 forests [sic] tell you that because of fire suppression and because 

 of poor management, our forests are at greater risk and our com- 

 munities are at greater risk and our lives are at greater risk and 

 I do not agree that that is the way we should manage forests. 



I think we should have managed them to protect people and 

 lives, and I agree that we should be doing salvage logging and 

 thinning in areas and concentrate where people and lives are and 

 we should put our effort there, not necessarily salvage logging in 

 wilderness areas or fighting fires in wilderness areas or salvaging 

 in areas very far away from people and lives, and I think the peo- 

 ple and lives are the major issue and I, as an individual, am very 

 supportive of management practices that do protect people and 

 lives. Thank you, sir. 



Mr. Herger. I find your comment interesting. I hear you, it 

 would appear, speaking on both sides of this issue. On one side, 

 you stated that you are in favor of some salvage logging. I do not 

 know if you are aware, but the whole purpose of the emergency, 

 salvage logging which only lasts for a certain period of time, was 

 to expedite what is normally a three-year process in which all our 

 trees are so far rotten by that time and eaten by insects that they 

 are unsalvageable because of lawsuits, which you mentioned you 

 joining, preventing us from doing anything. 



That is what I would like to do, Ms, Phillips. We have an annual 

 woods tour out in our area and I would like to invite you to come 

 out to it. 



Ms. Phillips. Thank you. I would enjoy that. 



Mr. Herger. We can show you some of the problems that we 

 have. The stands that organizations like yours, and particularly 

 the Sierra Club and the Wilderness Society and others have taken 

 eliminating any kind of habitat whatsoever. These stands have de- 

 stroyed our communities and allowed for as high as 22 percent un- 

 emplojnnent in some of my counties, driving up the cost of home 

 and wood products and also destroying the very habitat that you 

 claim to be wanting to protect. 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Ms. Phillips. Sir, I feel like the Forest Service already has laws 

 to be able to use to expedite salvage sales. I know that in Washing- 

 ton State, where I have seen many salvage sales go forth without, 

 by the way, any appeal or litigation on the part of my Audubon 

 Chapter, it does not take three years. They can do an emergency. 

 There is a lot in the National Environmental Protection Act, the 

 NEPA, in implementing regulations that allow them to do many 

 things in a hurry. So I do not think that the salvage rider was nec- 

 essary and I do not really think it is helping the American people. 

 Thank you. 



Mr. Herger. That is not happening and you know it is not hap- 

 pening and it is a farce for you even to say it as though it were 

 taking place, Ms. Phillips. 



Mr. COOLEY. Thank you, Mr. Herger. 



Mr. Riggs? 



