31 



THE NATIONAL FOREST TASK FORCE OF NEVADA 



TESTIMONY OF 



SUE WAGNER 



NEVADA STATE SENATOR 



Page 2 



states. In response, concerned citizens organized the National 

 Forests Task Force of Nevada. Chaired by then State Senator 

 Thomas "Spike" Wilson, Fred Gibson and myself, a coalition was 

 created to fight the transfer. After the Administration's 

 plans were fully disclosed, hearings were held across the state 

 of Nevada at which over a thousand Nevadans testified that they 

 opposed the wholesale land transfer and declassification of 

 National Forests in their state. 



The combined voices of the Task Force and testimony of 

 Nevadans from across the state not only was successful in oppos- 

 ing the flawed declassification proposal, but resulted in a 

 complete turn-around whereby existing Public Domain land with 

 National Forest character would be added to the National Forest 

 System. In response to this overwhelming support, the Task 

 Force co-chairmen arranged a meeting in Washington with the 

 Nevada Congressional Delegation, the Chief of the Forest Service 

 Max Peterson, and representatives of Nevada's Governor Richard 

 Bryan and the Director of the BLM. This group agreed that 

 Interchange objectives could be accomplished by adding Public 

 Domain land to the existing National Forest System. Later, 

 when it became evident that the National Interchange Act was 

 not going to proceed, H.R. 5277 (the National Forests of Nevada 

 Enhancement Act of 1986) was introduced to transfer over 



