61 



STATEMENT OF 



DAVID G. UNGER, ASSOCIATE CHIEF 



FOREST SERVICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Before the 



Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands 



Committee on Resources 



United States House of Representatives 



Forest Service Administrative Appeals Process 



June 20, 1996 



MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE: 



Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the operation of the 



Forest Service Administrative Appeals procedures. 



It goes without saying that segments of the American public have 

 widely differing views about how the nation's natural resources 

 should be managed. These differences have, in turn, greatly 

 challenged management of the National Forests and Grasslands. 

 Administrative appeals procedures are one method used to help 

 build support for the decisions of this agency. Clearly, the 

 stridency of debate has not gone away. But we believe the 

 appeals procedure has helped to resolve many disagreements and 

 misunderstandings about Forest Service activities- - it has 

 certainly lowered the volume in the debate. 



Today, I will focus most of my remarks on the process found at 36 



26-518 96-3 



