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Senator Hecht. Thank you very much. 

 Mr. Leonard. 



STATEMENT OF GEORGE M. LEONARD, ASSOCIATE CHIEF, 

 FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Mr. Leonard. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. We are 

 happy to be here to give you the views of the Department of Agri- 

 culture on S. 59. 



S. 59, as discussed by Director Burford, provides for substantially 

 the same transfer of lands within the State of Nevada as would be 

 done in the National Interchange Proposal that the Forest Service 

 and BLM have submitted; and, as such, we think that those trans- 

 fers within the State of Nevada are desirable. 



However, we would much prefer that those transfers take place 

 within the context of a national, or at least a regional Interchange 

 bill, because of the very substantial public benefits that would 

 accrue thereto. 



That, I think, completes my statement. 



[The prepared statement of Mr. Leonard follows:] 



