13 



In any circumstance, if you stay with this present costing proc- 

 ess, and you look at the spinoffs from the sale of the timber, not 

 only in the way that it benefits ecosystem management, which is 

 absolutely critical in an area like the White Mountain National 

 Forest, but in the pure dollar numbers where you have a signifi- 

 cant amount of taxes generated to the community, taxes generated 

 to the Federal Government, and jobs created, the Federal Govern- 

 ment and the country remain a winner. 



So it seems to me that we should take a look at the process as it 

 is on the land and the way that it impacts the communities that 

 surround the area, rather than in the theoretical process of just 

 looking at numbers which probably aren't applicable to the way 

 the situation has really evolved. 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Senator Daschle. Thank you, Judd, for an excellent assessment 

 of the situation. 



Senator Craig, do you have any comments you'd like to address 

 to Senator Gregg? 



Senator Craig. Certainly, with the time consideration and other 

 Senators here who I know want to testify, let me thank Judd for 

 those comments. I think they were very appropriate. 



My frustration, Senator, has been the fact that we drive certain 

 costs up because of public policy, and that has skewed the TSPIRS 

 accounting results. That has always been one of my frustrations, 

 and I am pleased to have you make that comment. 



Senator Gregg. Thank you. I appreciate your time. 



Senator Daschle. Thank you again, Senator Gregg. 



Our chairman has taken a real active interest in this issue, and 

 is here to present his testimony, and I am delighted he is and 

 invite Chairman Leahy to make his presentation at this time. 



STATEMENT OF HON. PATRICK J. LEAHY, A U.S. SENATOR FROM 



VERMONT 



The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Daschle. 



As chairman of the subcommittee, I want to applaud you for 

 holding these hearings. The fact that the 1990 farm bill was the 

 first to contain a forestry title indicates how important I believe 

 forestry is. 



I saw the article about the below-cost timber sale in the New 

 York Times on April 30th, and when you read the article and the 

 preliminary memo that went out, it seemed like the Forest Service 

 was preparing to shut down 62 forests in a hasty and heavy-handed 

 fashion, something I would totally oppose. It certainly did not 

 make sense in my own State of Vermont, where we had carefully 

 negotiated a consensus forest plan that met both timber objectives 

 and environmental objectives, and I know that other Senators have 

 done the same thing in their States. 



So I am glad the administration has rejected the shutdown pro- 

 posal and indicated a willingness to work with the Senators on this 

 committee to develop a sensible policy. In fact, to make sure that it 

 works in my own State of Vermont, I am working with the Ver- 

 mont Forestry Communications Council, which is a nonpolitical or- 



