48 



Mr, Rose. So you see the solution as nothing short of the Brown 

 bill? 



Ms. Cloer. You are absolutely right. 



Mr. Rose. All right. 



Ms. Cloer. I agree with you, also, that there are 



Mr. Rose. I am not saying I agree with that. I am asking you 

 the question. 



Ms. Cloer. All right. I am sorry. 



Mr. Rose. You see nothing short of the Brown bill as the solu- 

 tion? 



Ms. Cloer. I agree with Representative Brown. The process of 

 getting this bill together and getting it worded correctly is a dy- 

 namic one, and there is room for various changes. We can work 

 with the acreages; we can work with grazing. There are lots of 

 things that we can do to make this bill better. But I fully agree we 

 need this legislation. 



Mr. Rose. All right. Could you please conclude, because some of 

 you are likely to go home at 10 o'clock. The way we are going, we 

 will be here until 10. 



Ms. Cloer. I have four more slides. 



Mr. Rose. Go ahead now. 



Ms. Cloer. All right. 



I was just going to say basically what you asked me. The settle- 

 ment was a temporary fix, and it was supposed to have been re- 

 placed by an amended forest plan. 



I would just like to say that I was at the table when Forest Serv- 

 ice policy was hammered out in this mediated settlement agree- 

 nient, and it is not based on science; it was a negotiated grove defi- 

 nition which involves measuring so many feet outside of a grove 

 boundary and putting a marker in the ground. It was strictly 

 judged by what it would do with the timber cut; it was not based 

 on any scientific information. 



Mr. Rose. I need to see you after the hearing. Do you have to 

 leave right away? 



Ms. Cloer. No, sir. I will be very happy to talk with you. 



Mr. Rose. All right. I want to talk to you about that. 



Ms. Cloer. All right. 



Today the Forest Service and the Chief of the Forest Service 

 have told us the value of ecosystem management. Sequoia National 

 Forest pledges to preserve and protect giant sequoia groves. I think 

 that this bill will help them do just that. 



We need to define the groves as a connected ecosystem and pro- 

 tect a generous area. We need to relieve them of the pressure to 

 produce timber so they can do their job and their training and 

 apply it correctly. 



H.R. 2153 will allow any science-based activity to occur for the 

 long-term good of the grove, including fire and thinning. 



Our forest still remains a beautiful forest. It belongs to the 

 world, and it is as great as any park or any forest that you find 

 internationally. 



This is my last slide. It is a picture of my favorite giant sequoia, 

 the "Wishbone Tree." I first met this when I was about 5, and as 

 sequoias grow, it is not terribly large, but I can ride my horse 



