202 



Thank you. 



Mr. Hansen. Thank you, Mr. Herger. 



Mr. Hansen. The gentlelady from Idaho, do you have any ques- 

 tions for your colleague from California? 



STATEMENT OF THE HON. HELEN CHENOWETH, A U.S. 

 REPRESENTATIVE FROM IDAHO 



Mrs. Chenoweth. Mr. Chairman, I don't have a question. I have 

 been in Mr. Herger's district on timber task force hearings and he 

 has a problem down there much like the problem we have in the 

 entire West, and I have learned a lot from Congressman Herger 

 and I appreciate his knowledge and his outspoken direct points 

 that he makes on good forest management techniques. 



I also want to say, Mr. Chairman, that I do have a opening state- 

 ment for the record that I would simply like to ask permission to 

 insert it into the record. 



Mr. Hansen. Without objection. Would you like to read your 

 statement or just insert it in the record? 



Mrs. Chenoweth. I think in the essence of time, I would just as 

 soon insert it in the record. Thank you. 



Mr. Hansen. Thank you. 



[Prepared statement of Hon. Helen Chenoweth follows:] 



Prepared Statement of Hon. Helen Chenoweth 



Mr. Chairman, I am gald we are taking up an Issue of paramount importance to 

 my constituents. We as a Committee definitely need to bring this issue more into 

 the pubUc purview. We need to examine this current trend of "ecological assess- 

 ments" that are being carried out by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Man- 

 agement, and what its potential impacts and coats could be. 



I am especially concerned about one of the projects we are examining today, com- 

 monly referred to as the "Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project" 

 or ICBEMP. There are numerous questions and concerns that many of my constitu- 

 ents have about this initiative. In fact, I feel that there are enough areas of concern, 

 that I hope that this will not be the only time this Committee will be visiting this 

 issue, and would hope that this Committee consider holding additional hearings on 

 just this particular project. 



Mr. Chairman, a couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity of sharing my views 

 with the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior about ICBEMP. As we get ready 

 to address this issue today, and question the witnesses who have come to testify 

 about this project, to help frame the issue I would like to just take a moment and 

 reiterate some of the points that I made at that hearing. 



My number one point, and what I believe is the project's overriding fault, is the 

 lack of Congressional authority. ICBEMP was developed under a Memorandum of 

 Understanding entered into by the Interior, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Serv- 

 ice, and several other federal agencies. This effort has not been directly funded by 

 Congress, and has as a result been left out of the authorization loop. What you have 

 instead is a plan that is being developed which will be used by the Forest Service 

 and Interior to amend their own land use plans and thus will be a major outline 

 for management of the Federal lands — all done without specific authorization from 

 the Congress. 



My second overall concern about this project is that the manner in which this 

 project is being carried out is driving a further wedge between the Federal Govern- 

 ment and local and State interests. I have heard the Federal agencies claim that 

 they have involved local entities, such as county organizations and resource sup- 

 ported groups into the process. However, all of these groups have expressed to me 

 that while it appears tney have a voice in the process, when they have seen the 

 memoranda and drafted proposals, they observe that virtually none of their sugges- 

 tions or data are incorporated into the plan. 



Further, the BLM has announced that it will consider the EIS of the ecosystem 

 project to constitute the public input needed for the amendment of the local plans, 

 and will conduct no further NEPA review. Thus, even the local plans of the manage- 



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