LABOR UNIONS, REPUBLICANS SCARE OFF INSLEE ROADLESS AMENDMENT

News Release Congressman James Hansen (Utah) ^ | July 18, 2002 | Shifflett

[madfly]

NEWS from
Congressman James V. Hansen,
(1^st District - Utah)
Chairman, Committee on Resources; U.S. House of Representatives;
1324 Longworth House Office Building; Washington, D.C. 20515-6201; 202-225-2761
Website address: http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Marnie Funk (Marnie.Funk@mail.house.gov) / Tracey Lynn Shifflett (Tracey.Shifflett@mail.house.gov)
(202) 226-9019

July 18, 2002

 

Labor Unions, Republicans Scare Off Inslee Roadless Amendment to Interior Approps That Would Have Cost Jobs

Amendment opponents rally to protect jobs,
fire prevention efforts

Washington, D.C. – Labor unions and resource-minded Republicans joined forces this week to successfully fend off a proposed amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill that would have cost countless western jobs and hampered forest managers’ efforts to prevent wildfires in parched western forests.

Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Washington, announced plans to enforce President Clinton’s flawed roadless rule – which is in federal litigation – through an amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill. The amendment would have prohibited federal funding for forest management activity in the 57 million acres of federal forestland that President Clinton proclaimed as roadless in a hasty administrative order in the waning days of his presidency.

The amendment would have prohibited several fire prevention activities, including the use of backfires, which has been successful in saving western towns threatened by looming fire this season. The U.S. Forest Service has reported that more than a third of the land in the roadless area -- 22 million acres – is at moderate to high risk for forest fire during one of the most devastating wildfire seasons in recent memory.

Republicans teamed with several labor unions, including the Forest Service Council of the National Federation of Federal Employees, the Western Council of Industrial Workers, The Woodworkers District I of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. The combined effort to protect jobs and prevent wildfires prompted Rep. Inslee to redraft his proposed amendment several times before withdrawing it altogether.

Chairman Scott McInnis:

“In my opinion the support just wasn’t there to put a straight-jacket on the Forest Service’s ability to manage and prevent catastrophic fires in our nation’s forests.>

I think it is now clear that Members of Congress who represent areas not impacted by these destructive fires have gained a perspective on the importance of managing our nation’s forests.”

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[BOBTHENAILER]

Investigate Cantwell for illgotten gains in the pumpndump tech bubble.

I've long thought the same thing. Go after her hard and heavy.

I'm sure I remember something a little funny about her corp.

[Issaquahking]

Thanks for the ping! BTTT

[angry elephant]

Inslee needs to be voted out! Hope the folks in Washington will see this and put in somebody that actually has Washington's best interests at heart,

I'm in Washington, and some of us despise Inslee, but there are others who vote for him and Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell. None of them care about the state; their highest duty seems to be to the Communist Party. The state is broke, logging and fishing are virtually destroyed, Boeing has left, Internap is leaving, and they wonder where the money is.

[McGavin999]

One step at a time. At least it's a start.

[CyberAnt]

I am so glad to see this - this roadless stuff is part of the reason we are having all these forest fires - no access to the wilderness areas for proper maintenance.

[Jhoffa_]

The amendment would have prohibited federal funding for forest management activity in the 57 million acres of federal forestland that President Clinton proclaimed as roadless in a hasty administrative order in the waning days of his presidency.

Hell is frozen, I just found something Clinton didn't want to fund.

Oh my..

And this "backfires" idea is interesting to me. I mean, if you can set a controlled fire in the path of a raging wildfire, will you not deprive it of fuel and effectively create a barrier?

I think that sounds like a great idea.. Provided it can be controlled with some degree of certainty.

EG: You burn the woods on the outskirts of town slowly today, so it can't burn quickly tomorrow when the flamefront hits it and take the town with it.

Sounds brilliant.

[madfly]

bttt