vage has reduced the volume of heavy fuels. I am sure that this 

 is the case in many other places. 



If the agency decides to limit the use of salvage and other timber 

 harvests, as the June 2nd direction from Secretary Glickman indi- 

 cates is the Administration's preferred choice, then I am concerned 

 that the new Federal fire policy would be doomed to failure, since 

 we will not have the manpower or the money to control fires that 

 do burn. 



I look forward to the testimony today from two experts in the 

 field of fire and resource management. We had planned also to 

 hear from the Director of the California Department of Forestry 

 and Fire Protection, but at the last minute Director Wilson had to 

 cancel his travel plans. He has instead submitted his statement for 

 the record. 



Finally, we look forward to hearing from Under Secretary of Ag- 

 riculture Jim Lyons, who will explain the current policies and I 

 hope he will be able to answer a few questions. 



[Prepared Statement of Director Richard A. Wilson maybe found 

 at the end of hearing.] 



Chairman Hansen. Mr. Herger was our first witness. I'll turn to 

 Members of the Committee for any opening statements they may 

 have. 



I'll turn to the gentlelady from Idaho, Mrs. Helen Chenoweth. 



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

 REPRESENTATIVE FROM IDAHO 



Mrs. Chenoweth. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to 

 thank you for holding this very important hearing. 



In my State of Idaho we are currently in a crisis. It might be dif- 

 ficult for some of my colleagues from other parts of the country to 

 appreciate the peril of these fires and the peril that it poses to the 

 people of the West. 



Let me tell you that when I was home in Idaho this past August 

 no matter where in the State you were there was smoke every- 

 where you looked. In the city of Boise you could look out the win- 

 dow downtown and see flames in the foothills. My constituents' 

 lives and properties were at risk. 



I thank you for holding this timely crucial oversight hearing. Be- 

 fore I continue I would like to welcome Dr. Leon Neuenschwander, 

 Professor of Fire Ecology at the University of Idaho's Department 

 of Forestry Resources. He has come a long way to be here today 

 and I look forward to listening to his testimony. 



Mr. Chairman, as I said before, we are in a crisis. As of today 

 5,868,980 acres have been burned this year and the fire season is 

 still weeks from ending. This is a staggering number and rep- 

 resents the worst fire season in modern history. Even worse, how- 

 ever, is that my State, Idaho, has taken the brunt of the fires. 

 866,627 acres have burned in Idaho alone. Idaho is the No. 1 fire 

 damaged State in terms of acres burned. 



Three new large fires were reported yesterday in Idaho. Don't let 

 anyone tell you differently. We are in the midst of a crisis. This is 

 frustrating for me as I am sure it is for other Members of the Sub- 

 committee as well. We knew this was coming, it has been building 

 for years, and between the seven-year drought in the Western 



