31 



certainly need them. It's going to take us two to three years once 

 we have acquisition of the aircraft before it flies doing this kind of 

 work because, as you well know, low and slow everything better 

 work just right and you don't have much room for error. 



Chairman HANSEN. Well that's for sure. 



We've heard, and I don't know if it's true or not, but we've heard 

 that the Forest Service has recently developed a draft forest health 

 policy. Is that correct? 



Under Secretary LYONS. Some work is underway to look at the 

 need for manual changes with regard to forest health and the defi- 

 nition of forest health, that's correct. 



Chairman Hansen. Now you have a forest health policy and a 

 definition of forest health? 



Under Secretary Lyons. Well actually I think the forest health 

 policy would manifest itself. We have a team that has been looking 

 at the manual, the Forest Service manual. 



Chairman Hansen. How does it differ from what we currently 

 have? 



Under Secretary Lyons. I think there is discussion about defini- 

 tion and issues related to how we would prioritize forest health 

 projects, et cetera, in the context of our overall ecosystem system 

 management goals. 



I don't know if Jack wants to say anything about it. 



Chairman Hansen. Who developed the program, the Chief and 

 his group, the Secretary and his group or all of you combined? 



Under Secretary Lyons. Well we've been working together on 

 this for some time, but I think it originates from one of the teams 

 in the Forest Service who has been looking at this issue. As you 

 probably are aware, it was about two years ago that Jack and I put 

 together a team that worked on what we called the Western Forest 

 Health Initiative and they've worked tirelessly. Ann Bartiska[sic] is 

 the actual Chair of that team that has worked to come up with 

 mechanisms to improve our entire forest health program. 



Chairman HANSEN. When are those of us who appropriate your 

 money and develop the policy going to get to see your policy? 



Under Secretary Lyons. Well as soon as we have it cleaned up 

 and ready to go. Actually what we are contemplating is administra- 

 tive changes now that wouldn't require legislative action. 



Chairman Hansen. Does it get into some of the things that we've 

 been discussing today about forest health and old growth and 

 cleaning up the forests and fires and stuff such as that? 



Under Secretary LYONS. It would provide the guidance for deal- 

 ing with those issues, additional guidance beyond what we have al- 

 ready. 



Chairman Hansen. Last July or early August we had you up 

 here and you made the statement that if we gave you a list of sales 

 you would review them. We're still kind of waiting for that list. We 

 sent you a list, but we haven't gotten any answers back. What's the 

 holdup? 



Under Secretary Lyons. Well I apologize for that. I wasn't aware 

 that there was a holdup. So I'll have to check into that. 



Chairman Hansen. Actually that's from the other body, but we're 

 very curious because we follow what the House of Lords does very 

 carefully, you know, to see what we're going to find ourselves in. 



