Mr. Unger. I wouldn't be able to single out impressions of the 

 situation in Colorado, Congressman, specifically, but certainly 

 there are appellants who, in dealing with our decisions, approach 

 them, not just from the standpoint of a particular concern about 

 that particular project, but, obviously, in some cases, they are seek- 

 ing to make a larger point about a particular part of the law or the 

 policy at issue. 



It is hard to separate out motives in this kind of thing. Our feel- 

 ing is that our only approach that is reasonable and professional 

 is to respond to the facts that are alleged and deal with the issue 

 straight on and try to resolve it in terms of that particular project 

 that has been challenged. 



Mr. Allard. Are those types of concerns that get raised in these 

 appeal processes creating some divisiveness between certain inter- 

 est groups in the Forest Service? 



Mr. Unger. Well, obviously, the whole process of public land 

 management today is one where there is a good deal of controversy 

 and debate — sometimes very spirited debate, sometimes rather po- 

 larized positions. So at any point where there is an interaction be- 

 tween the Forest Service and the public that we serve, those kinds 

 of issues are going to come forth and be debated. 



Of course, an appeal is a way in which people who have a strong 

 view about something do have an opportunity to come forward as 

 they do in the case of litigation. So there are going to be sometimes 

 divisive statements made and proposals made. 



Mr. Allard. We just had a major forest fire in Colorado in the 

 Pike-San Isabel National Forest and referred to as the Buffalo 

 Creek Fire. And there are about 10,000 acres there that were 

 caught up in flame. It is my sense th.at the public would support 

 a well planned salvage operation in a situation like that, but I am 

 somewhat concerned about maybe a few individuals preventing 

 that from happening. How critical are emergency salvage projects 

 in this particular situation? 



Mr. Unger. Well, we rely on our regional forester and our forest 

 supervisors and people on the ground to assess situations such as 

 the one that you described; determine what kind of rehabilitation 

 is necessary. We try to get on with that very, very quickly and then 

 determine whether, as in the case you mentioned, salvage is a pos- 

 sibility or a desirable part of the process of recovery. If it is, why, 

 a salvage proposal can be developed and sent on its way to action. 



Mr. Allard. Let me ask you this before you move off of that. 

 Would a salvage operation be more feasible in an area like Colo- 

 rado where you have a dry climate and slow growth times, every- 

 thing, or is it more feasible in areas like the Northwest where you 

 have more rain and faster growth of trees? 



Mr. Unger. Salvage decisions and opportunities will exist 

 throughout the country. They are not limited to just your part of 

 the country. 



Mr. Allard. OK. In this particular situation, we had an area 

 with heavy public use that caught fire . There were some cabins 

 within that area; a lot of activity. In retrospect, are there things 

 that could have been done to have improved the forest health in 

 that area that would have made it less likely for the fire or would 

 have made it easier to contain the growth of that fire? 



