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TESTIMONY OF SENATOR PAUL LAXALT. June 30. 1987 



lands in Nevada by trading them away to the Bureau of Land 

 Management (BLM) through an Interchange proposal. Once again 

 Nevadans voiced their support of the U.S. Forest Service. At 

 hearings held in Reno, Las Vegas, and Elko, a great number of 

 Nevadans testified of their dismay at the prospect of losing 

 the national forests in Nevada. 



At that time, the co-chairmen of the National Forest Task 

 Force of Nevada, the entire Nevada Congressional delegation, 

 including myself, the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, and 

 representatives of the Governor of Nevada and the Director of 

 the Bureau of Land Management met in Washington, D.C. We all 

 agreed that several of the goals of Interchange, including ease 

 of administration and administrative efficiency, could best be 

 accomplished by transferring some lands administered by the BLM 

 to the jurisdiction of the Forest Service. 



From this agreement, legislation was introduced and 

 passed the House during the 99th Session of Congress, but 

 failed to come to a vote in the Senate before the Session 

 adjourned. Dedicated to following the wishes of their 

 constituents in Nevada, Congresswoman Barbara Vucanovich and 

 Senators Chic Hecht and Harry Reid, re-introduced comparable 

 legislation in the forms of H.R.^ 267 and S. 59 during the 

 opening days of the current Session of Congress. 



However, with due respect for its sponsors, I am of the 

 opinion that the legislation will have greatly improved chances 

 of passage if it is amended in two respects. 



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