President Announces Healthy Forest Initiative

Master of ceremonies was Lars Larson with KXL, Portland. Senator Gordon Smith introduced the President of the United States.

12:54 P.M. PDT (YES! He was on time -- no 2 hour haircut holding up the airlines!)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much for coming. Thanks for -- please be seated, unless of course you don't have a chair. (Laughter.) Thanks for that. Thank you all for such a warm welcome. It's such an honor to be here in Jackson County. (Applause.)

I have come for a couple of reasons. First, I have come to express our deepest condolences for those whose lives have been affected by these fires, and to thank the yellow shirts, the hard working fire fighters. (Applause.) I appreciate the sacrifice you all make to protect your neighbors. One of the things you learn growing up in small town Texas or small town Oregon is that you learn to be neighborly. And the idea of people sacrificing to serve their neighbors is something that makes this country great. So I want to thank you all for what you do.

I also want to tell you, our job is to make sure we do everything we can to prevent forest fires from happening in the first place. (Applause.) That's one of our responsibilities, and that's why I went up to Jacksonville to talk about a policy that is based upon common sense. It's not a political deal, it's not a Republican idea, it's not a Democrat idea, it's an American idea to preserve our forests so that we can -- (applause) -- that's one of the hurdles we've got to address here in the country. That's one of the challenges we've got to meet, is how to preserve our national treasure.

We've got other challenges. Listen, any time anybody who wants to find work, who can't work, it means we've got a problem. So I want to talk about the job we have of making sure we grow our economy, so people can work.

And then what I want to talk about, I want to talk about the fact that we've got another challenge, and that is how best to protect our homeland from the killers. (Applause.) And I want to tell you how we're going to win the war on terror. And we are going to win the war on terror. (Applause.)

I want to thank members of my administration for coming out here. They're kind of used to the west, since they are from the west, and that would be the Secretary of Agriculture, Anne Venemen and the Secretary of Interior, Gayle Norton. (Applause.) These two ladies are doing a fine job, really fine job. I'm proud they're on my team.

I appreciate so very much Gordon Smith for introducing me and being a friend. I'm proud of the service that he has given to the state of Oregon. He's a hard working man, he's a family man, he's a good decent citizen. And I want to appreciate and I want to say how much I appreciate Senator Ron Wyden for being here, as well. I think it's an important gesture to show that forest policy can be common sense policy. (Applause.) I appreciate it.

The honorable citizens -- and so is your Congressman, Greg Walden. (Applause.) It sounds like they remember you, Greg. (Laughter.) I remember him, because all he does is talk about Oregon. (Laughter and applause.) I want to thank Governor Judy Martz and Governor Jane Dee Hull, governors from Montana and Arizona for coming. (Applause.) These are fine -- I wish I could say they were here -- they came to hear my speech. They came to promote good fire policy. They got stuck listening to the speech. (Laughter.) But I'm proud to call them friends. I had the honor of being a governor at one time, and I knew these two ladies. And they're good ones. And I want to thank them for coming.

I also want to thank the mayor of Central Point, Oregon, Bill Walton, for receiving me earlier. (Applause.) I want to thank Michael Draper, who is the Western Director of the International Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners Union for being here. (Applause.) You thought Michael would have gotten you a better seat. (Laughter.) But thank you all for coming. I want to thank Nolan Colegrove, who is the President of the Intertribal Timber Council. He came up from California. I had a good visit with him. He's a good, solid thinker, and a reasonable fellow.

I want to thank my friends from the Klamath River basin who are here. I want to appreciate your working with us to make sure that people who make the living off the land had enough water to survive. (Applause. THAT was me yelling AMEN!) I want to thank the members of the Student Conservation Association who are here. (Applause.) You'd think your relatives would be clapping too, but -- (laughter) -- thank you for your concern for our environment. Thanks for your hard work to put into practice common sense policies to preserve the forest land.

I want to introduce Matt Epstein, who is here. The reason I bring up Matt is, everywhere I go, when I land, I try to welcome somebody to -- a member of what we call the USA Freedom Corps, out at Air Force One, to thank them. But it also gives me a chance to remind our country what a unique land we are. We have people who volunteer their time to make their communities a better place.

Matt teaches kids how to read. Matt worries about those who don't have enough food. Matt also works hard to promote good forest management policy. He not only does it on his own land, but he promotes good forest policy so people understand the difference between kind of theory and good practice. Matt is a citizen who cares deeply about the community in which he lives. He is a soldier in the army of compassion. Matt understands what I know, that one person can't do everything, but one person can do something to make the community in which we live a better place. (Applause.) So it's my honor to introduce Matt Epstein and his wife, Donna. Thank you for coming. (Applause.) Where are you, Matt? Hi, Matt, hi, Donna. (Applause.) Thank you.

We've got some challenges that face our economy, there's no question about it. I mean, the first three quarters of my presidency we were in recession. That means the economy was going backwards, it was negative growth. The next three quarters we've had positive growth. But about halfway through that time, the enemy hit us, and it affected our economy.

And then to make the challenge even more, we found out some of the folks were cooking the books. Some of the people decided that in order to get ahead they wouldn't tell the truth. Oh, we've had some tough times in our economy, and I know you know what I'm talking about right here in this part of Oregon. Times are tough.

But let me tell you something, so is America. (Applause.) Our economy has strengths to equal those challenges. I mean, after all, we've got the most productive farmers and ranchers in the world. (Applause.) We've got the most productive workers in the world. (Applause.) We've got a great climate for small businesses and the entrepreneurial spirit is strong in America.

No, we've got the ingredients to overcome the challenge. But there's still work to do. And let me describe some of the work that needs to get done. I believe a healthy economy will mean that we work to have -- in order to have a healthy economy, we've got to have a healthy forest policy. I mean, if you have good forest policy, it will yield to a better economy. (Applause.) After all, the fires that have devastated the West create a drag on the economy. It costs money to fight these fires. It means people lose property. There's opportunity lost. No, good forest policy not only is important for the preservation and conservation of good forests for future generations, it's good for our economy.

And yet, I think we need to be honest with the American people. The forest policy of our government is misguided policy. It doesn't work. (Applause.) We need to thin. We need to make our forests healthy by using some common sense. (Applause.) We need to understand, if you let kindling build up, and there's a lightning strike, you're going to get yourself a big fire. That's what we've got to understand. (Laughter.)

We've got to understand that it makes sense to clear brush. We've got to make sense -- it makes sense to encourage people to make sure that the forest not only are healthy from disease, but are healthy from fire. That's what we've got to do here in America. We haven't done that in the past. We just haven't done it, and we're now paying the price. (Applause.)

And so we're going to change the forest policy in Washington. And that's why I've got my secretaries here. They know what I know, that we've got to change the policy, starting with setting priorities, right off the bat, about getting after those areas that are dangerous -- dangerous to communities, dangerous to habitat, dangerous to recreational areas. There are some high priority areas that we need to declare emergencies and get to thinning now, before it's too late. (Applause.)

And we have a problem with the regulatory body there in Washington. I mean, there's so many regulations, and so much red tape, that it takes a little bit of effort to ball up the efforts to make the forests healthy. And plus, there's just too many lawsuits, just endless litigation. (Applause.) We want to make sure our citizens have the right to the courthouse. People ought to have a right to express themselves, no question about it. But there's a fine balance between people expressing their selves and their opinions and using litigation to keep the United States of America from enacting common sense forest policy. (Applause.)

We've made some progress through administration action. We can thin on emergency basis, like I just mentioned. We'll speed up the process of developing environmental assessments, while considering the long-term threat that fire susceptible forests pose to endangered species. We'll make sure that people have their voice, but aren't able to tie it all up. And I need to work with Congress, and I need help from Congress. And I appreciate Senator Smith and Senator Wyden's willingness to do what is right for the people of Oregon. They want to work together. (Applause.)

There's too much bickering in Washington. Like, it's kind of a zero-sum attitude. No, what we need is to understand that what I'm talking about makes sense. And this isn't a chance for one political party to get an upper hand on another political party, this is just common sense for what's best for not only the forests, and the preservation and conservation of forests, but what's best for the people who live around the forests. That's what this is. (Applause.)

People are beginning to get the message. I mean, Americans who have no idea what good forest policy means are beginning to see the fires on TV. It's a sad way for people to learn, but it's happening, and we're beginning to make some progress. There's some -- recently I signed what they call a supplemental bill. And in that bill there was some -- the Black Hills National Forest, east of here, got some treatment about how to thin, how to make sure that that forest was well preserved. My attitude is, if it's good enough for that part of South Dakota, it's good enough for Oregon. (Applause.)

No, I want our forests healthy, and I want our economy healthy. That's why I strongly support the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan, a plan which should allow the production a billion board feet of timber per year. (Applause.) This is a plan that was a well thought out plan. It's a plan that was put together to protect wildlife habitat, to protect recreational areas. But it's a plan that's got another dividend, besides a healthy forest. It means 100,000 more jobs for people to be able to -- (applause)

This would be sustainable timber harvesting on a small portion of the forest. The prior administration developed and agreed to this plan. I support the plan, Congress needs to pass the laws necessary to implement the plan. (Applause.)

Good forest policy will be good for the economy. Good forest policy will mean we will have left a legacy for future generations. You know, I'll never forget our tax relief debate. I remember telling people that where I came from, at least the economic book that I believe in say, if you've got tough times in your economy, you got to let people keep more of their own money. (Applause.)

Here's the theory behind that. If you let a person keep their own money -- and by the way, we're not talking about the government's money, when we're spending money, we're talking about the people's money. (Applause.) You let somebody keep their own money, they're likely to demand a good or a service. And if they demand a good or a service, somebody is likely to produce that good or service. And when somebody produces a good and service, somebody is more likely to find work. (Applause.)

And so therefore, in the face of this recession, which turned out to be a recession, which turned out to be a recession, the tax cut came at the right time in American economic history. (Applause.) Now people say, well, you know, it didn't have an effect. Of course it had an effect. Let me tell you who it had an effect on. It had an effect not only on people who pay the bills, it had an effect on small business owners. Seventy percent of new job creation in America comes from our small business owners, comes from our entrepreneurs. Most of those small business, because they are sole proprietorships, or limited partnerships, pay income taxes on the personal income tax level. So when you drop the income tax rates, really what you're doing is you're stimulating job creation, by putting a shot in the arm to the entrepreneurs, the small business owners of America. (Applause.)

This tax reform slashed the marriage penalty. It makes sense to me that the tax code ought to encourage marriage, not discourage marriage. (Applause.) After all, families -- a family unit is the strength of the country. (Applause.) And for the sake of the small business owners, and the people who make a living off the land, the farmers and ranchers, we put the death tax on its way to extinction. (Applause.) But the problem is, because of a quirk in the nature of the rules, all this comes -- it doesn't stay stuck, let me put it to you that way. (Laughter.) In other words, it comes back into being. The tax rates go back up to where they were, the death tax isn't repealed, the marriage penalty goes back up to where it is. That's just the nature of how the Senate rules work.

For the sake of economic growth, for the sake of job creation, for the sake of helping people stay on their farms and ranches, we need to make the tax relief permanent. (Applause.)

There are too many construction projects that aren't moving forward because the project managers can't find terrorism insurance. There's too many hard hats not working in America. There's over 8 billion projects which are not going forward, because the insurance premiums -- they just can't can't insurance for a potential terrorist attack. It makes sense for the Congress to act on this. The United States Congress ought to provide a floor for terrorism insurance, so we can get our hard hats back to working again. (Applause.) But I caution the Congress, we need a bill that worries more about the workers, and not about the trial lawyers in America. (Applause.)

And speaking about trial lawyers, I am worried about liability for doctors. I'm worried about it. And here's what I'm worried about. I'm worried about frivolous and junk lawsuits, frivolous and junk lawsuits that are making it harder for our citizens to get access to health care. That worries me. It worries me that frivolous and junk lawsuits are running up the cost of medicine. Because make no mistake about it, any time there is these huge settlements that go forward, you pay.

Now look, I repeat, if somebody gets injured, they ought to have their day in court, no question about it. That's a system that I value, and a system you value. But these frivolous and junk lawsuits are denying people who have actually been injured their day in court. They're making it hard to find doctors. They're running up the cost of medicine. For the sake of good, quality, affordable and accessible health care, we need medical liability reform in Washington, D.C., and we need it now, before people lose their doctors in rural America. (Applause.)

I want to tell you a quick story. I was in Mississippi during my so called vacation. I traveled to Mississippi. (Laughter.) And the -- I met a fellow who had -- is a religious man, and he heard the call of taking his practice, his medical practice, into the Mississippi Delta, which is a poor, poor region of America. It's a significant percentage of the population there is African American. These poor folks need health care.

And he felt like -- that God gave him the talents necessary to be a doctor, and he felt like he needed to use those talents to help people who could not afford health care. But because of the junk lawsuits, they ran him out of town, they ran him out of the state. I'm going to tell you something, if you look around rural Oregon, you're going to fine the same thing is happening to you.

Now, we need to have common sense reform of our medical liability laws, so people can get good health care at affordable prices in America. (Applause.)

I've got a piece of legislation which is important to job creation here in America, and that gives me the capacity to negotiate trade agreements. I say that's important -- I understand there's some farmers and ranchers who don't believe in trade -- and I don't blame, because you know what, you've been -- always dealt out of the mix.

But here's my attitude about this. First of all, fortunately, we produce more food than we need. Imagine being the head of a country where you're worried about your next meal for the American people. We produce more food than we need because we're good at what we do. And if you're good at something you do, you ought to promote that which we do. We ought to be using American food to feed the world. We ought to have a President -- and I will use that tool to open up markets for Oregon farm and ranch products. (Applause.)

In order to make sure the economy grows, we need pension protections. Listen, we need -- if you're one of these 401(k)s with your company stock, you ought to be able to diversify after a reasonable period of time, so you're not locked in. And by the way, the law that I'm about to describe we passed says -- that we just passed -- says that if the boss gets to sell his stock, you ought to get to sell yours. (Applause.) There's some common sense pension -- and so I hope Congress gets after it when we get back, and get me a pension bill that will help those who have 401(k)s get the best information possible, the best investment advice possible, so they can better manage their accounts.

And I'll tell you one other thing that we did. I signed the law that was the most important corporate reform law since Franklin Roosevelt was your President. It said this. It said, the books are going to be honest, the auditors will be audited, the numbers are going to be real, and the criminals in America will be punished. (Applause.)

We're not going to have this, in America, where those who should be responsible to employees and shareholders, feel like they can cut corners. When I gave the speech about corporate responsibility in New York, I said in my speech, the business schools in America need to be willing to teach right from wrong. (Applause.) And that's what the curriculum ought to do. And I was working the rope line, and probably one of the hard hat types was sitting up there, was sitting on the rope line, said, if you want to send the right message, if you want to teach the lesson, just put a couple of them in handcuffs. That's the best ethics lesson that we can have in America. (Applause.)

America is coming to understand by far the vast majority, by far the vast majority of our chief executive officers are honorable, decent people. They tell the truth. They treat their shareholders with respect. They care deeply about the plight of their employees. But this corporate task force I put together is serious business. And we're going to find those who cheat, and we're going to prosecute them, and they're going to find out that instead of easy money, they've got hard time ahead of them. (Applause.)

We're making progress on the economic front. After all, the conditions are right for growth. I want you to think about this: inflation is low, interest rates are low, productivity is up, consumer spending is strong. We've got the capacity to trade more. We've got the ingredients for growth. We've got some hurdles to cross, but you just need to know, I'm not going to rest until people who want to find work are able to find a job.

I also want you to know I'm not going to rest until this homeland is secure. (Applause.) There's an enemy out there, there just is. The way I like to put it to kids who right letters in, or ask the question -- I hope you share this with them -- is that people hate us because we love freedom. People -- it's hard for people to understand, particularly youngsters, why anybody would attack us the way they did, or would want to continue to attack us.

But you've got to tell them that you're great country stands for something that they can't stand, which is every life matters, every individual counts, every person has got worth, and we love freedom in America. (Applause.)

The more we value the ability to worship God the way we see fit, the more they hate us. (Applause.) The more we honor church and synagogue and mosque, the more they hate us. The more we speak our mind freely, the more they hate us. The more free our press is, the more they hate us. And therefore, since we're not going to yield to our freedoms, since we're not going to yield the values we hold dear, we've got to do everything we can to defend the homeland.

There are a lot of people working overtime to protect America. Every time we get a hint, we're moving on it. There's a lot of good people at the federal level, the state level and the local level running down every kind of lead, every kind of possibility. We take everything seriously here in America, because we now understand that there's an enemy out there.

And that's why I asked Congress to work with me to make sure that at the federal level, and eventually at the state and local level, we do everything we can to protect the homeland. I proposed a department of homeland security. Look, I didn't run for office saying, vote for me, the government is going to be bigger. That wasn't my promise. I did say, I'll try to make it better. And I'm concerned by the fact that there's over 100 agencies involved with homeland security. They're scattered everywhere in Washington, which makes it awfully hard to hold anybody to account. The number one -- my number one goal and my number one job now is to protect the homeland from the enemy, and therefore I ought to have the tools necessary to do so, and that starts with the department of homeland security. (Applause.)

And we're making some pretty good progress on it, but I need the tools, and so does my secretary need the tools, to be able to move the right people at the right place at the right time, to respond to any threat. And unfortunately, that's not the way thought Senate bill looks right now. You see, some senators are more worried about their own turn than they are protecting the American people. I am not going to accept a homeland security bill that has a book that thick trying to micro manage the department, when all I'm asking for is the same flexibility that they've given other Presidents, and that they've given to manage the airports. All I want to do is to be able to respond. I'm not interested in red tape. I'm not interested in micro management. I'm interested in doing what's right for the American people. (Applause.)

And let me give you one just one example. Let me just give you one example. It's important for us in America to know who's coming in the country, what they're bringing into the country, and whether or not they're leaving when they say they're going to leave. That's really important for us to know. (Applause.) And yet when you go down there on the border, in my part of the world, you've got one uniform in the Border Patrol, then you've got the INS, then you've got your Customs. It seems like to me that we need the flexibility necessary to meld those agencies together, to be able to transfer people around, to be able to better protect our border for the sake of the homeland security of the United States of America. (Applause.)

So there's a lot of good people working hard, there really are. And I'm proud of them. And I'm proud to report to you that our FBI and CIA are talking. I mean, people are buttoned up. They understand the job. They know the priority. They understand. And that's good. But you've got to know how I think. The best way to secure the homeland is to hunt the killers down, one by one. And that's what we're going to do. (Applause.)

It's a different kind of war we face here in America. It's not like the old days where you could measure the size of the enemy by the number of tanks he had or the number of airplanes that are flying. You can't measure progress by which hedge row we've taken. This is a different kind of war. This is a war where we face cold blooded killers, that's all they are, who hide in caves and send youngsters to their death. They hide in a cave and they send some poor, unsuspecting soul to their death. There is no cave deep enough -- there's no cave where they can hide from -- you see, when it comes to defending freedom, this great nation is relentless and patient and tough. Anytime anybody who wants to take away something we hold dear, is going to find out what this country is made out of.

I can't imagine what was going through their mind. I can't imagine what was going through their mind. (Applause.) They must have thought that we were so self-absorbed and so materialistic, and so worried about our own well being, and so selfish, that after September the 11th, we might file a lawsuit or two. (Laughter.) But that's about all we would do.

No, they learned something about America and our character. They learned that not only do we have a fabulous military -- (applause) -- they're learning first hand, when we say something we mean it, and when I say, if you harbor a terrorist, you're just as guilty as the terrorists, I mean it. (Applause.)

And the Taliban knows what we mean. The Taliban, one of the most barbaric group of people that modern history has seen, found out that the United States sticks by its words. I want you to tell your kids this about us, that we went into that country not to conquer anybody, but to liberate. That's why we went. And that for the first time, many young girls go to school, thanks to the United States and our friends and allies. No, by kicking out the Taliban, we recognized that each person has worth, that each person matters. (Applause.)

We've got work to do, and that's why I submitted a significant increase in our budget, our defense budget, the biggest increase since Ronald Reagan was the President. I did so because I wanted to send a message, loud and clear -- first -- and that is, anytime we cement -- put our troops in harm's way, they deserve the best equipment, the best training, and the best possible pay. (Applause.)

And the second reason I did it, is because I want to send a message to our friends and allies, and to the enemy, that we're not quitting. There's not a calendar on my desk that says, by such and such a date, this ends. That's not the way I think. That's not the way -- it doesn't matter how long it takes, as far as I'm concerned, and we owe it to our children and our grandchildren to be tough and resolved, and to be smart about how we conduct this war. This the kind of war where sometimes you'll see us move, and sometimes you won't. I mean, it's the kind of war where we can be just as effective cutting off their money as it is hauling them in.

And speaking about hauling them in, the United States and our coalition and friends have pulled in over a couple of thousand of them. And there's another couple of thousand that weren't quite so lucky. (Applause.) You'll see some action in Afghanistan, because there's still some spots where they feel like they can bunch up.

But we've got some brave souls on the ground there, chasing them down. They may try to light, like they did in the Philippines. And I want to thank President Gloria Arroyo. She heard the message, either you're with us or you're with the enemy. And she responded. She asked for help, we provided help. But her troops were the ones that got this guy that was running what they call Abu Sayyaf, the person who killed -- kidnapped two brave Americans, the Burnhams.

We're going to make sure that Yemen continues to remain strong, and is not a place where people get to light. I mean, we are -- we're running a vast coalition that loves freedom. And it's going to take a while, it will. And you've also got to know that it's very important for us not to allow the world's worst leaders to develop and hold and use the world's worst weapons to blackmail us or our friends. (Applause.)

But we're making progress, we are, slowly but surely. And that's the kind of war this is. It's a slowly but surely war. We're making progress so that our -- so we'll be free. See, here's how I view what happened on September the 11th. I view it as an unbelievable national tragedy. But because I know the American people so well -- I know our character and our strength -- out of the evil done to American will come some good. That's what I believe. I believe that if we remain strong and steadfast and resolved in our war against terror and terrorists, we can achieve peace.

I want you to tell your youngsters at home that my dream is peace. I want them to grow up in a peaceful world, in a peaceful society. It's not only them, but it's any child in any country, anywhere, needs to grow up in a peaceful world. And the United States can lead the world to peace.

I believe we can achieve peace in parts of the world where people have given up hope on peace. That's what I believe. I believe by leading this coalition of freedom nations, we can achieve peace. (Applause.)

There will be some steep hills to climb. There will be some sacrifices made. But we can achieve peace. And here at home, we can achieve a better society. The good that can come out of the evil done to us is good that comes when people have taken a step back and said, what does it take to make my society, my country a better place.

People ask me how can they help in the war against terror. My answer is, love a neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself. If you want to fight evil, do some good. (Applause.) And there are a lot of Americans who hear that call. It's not my call, they've heard that call long before I was President. Some are hearing it for the first time, but they're hearing the call --that if you want to fight evil, you do some good. It's just acts of kindness and decency which will change our country one soul at a time.

Listen, there are some pockets of despair and hopelessness and poverty and addiction in America. If one of us suffers, we all suffer. Out of the evil done to America can come some incredible good, as good solid, decent, loving Americans decide to mentor a child, to teach a child to read, for example; or to go to a shut-in and just simply say, I love you, on a regular basis. What can I do to make your day brighter?

It will happen when people understand their most important responsibility is to love their children with all their heart and all their soul. (Applause.)

No, this culture of service, this culture of serving something greater than yourself in life is becoming real in America. People understand being a patriot is more than simply putting your heart and saying the Pledge of Allegiance to one nation under God. They also understand -- (applause.) They also understand that being a patriot means to love somebody, to help somebody in need, to provide food where there's hunger and shelter where somebody needs a house and housing. That's what it means. That's what it means to be a patriot.

No, the enemy thought they were hitting a weak nation, but instead, they've awakened a great compassionate spirit in America. This sense of sacrifice was defined most clearly to me, and I think it will be to others who study the history of this period -- was on Flight 93. Here were people flying across the country. They realized their plane was being used as a weapon. History will show that they said a prayer, they told their loved ones good-bye -- one guy said, "Let's roll." They drove the plane in the ground to serve something greater than themselves. Every life in America matters. (Applause.)

It's this sense of service, this sense of understanding there's something greater than ourselves in life, this sense of working to make America the very best it can be allows me to say with certainty that out of the evil done to America will come incredible good, because this is the finest nation, full of the finest people on the face of the Earth. May God bless you all. (Applause.)

Here is a comment on Mark Vande Pol, from another site by Ben Anderson (azanderson.org). He publshes The Anderson Report by email almost daily. Nunya bidness's article was posted earlier this week. Mark (Carry_Okie) also had a visit with him on his recent book tour. This man gets it! We are lucky to have him in Arizona, having lost over 500,000 acres to fire storms..

Ben Anderson's Bio

Email him to subscribe to his email reports, which cover Immigration/Border, Environment, Education, and Election updates. Ben's a vet, also.
ben@azanderson.org

"Natural Process: That Environmental Laws May Serve the Laws of Nature" by Mark Edward Vande Pol is of immense importance. It is the most significant and ground-breaking concept in decades for the United States.
Currently, it is in its embryonic state - about the stage that Microsoft was in 1978-81. And, while Microsoft has had a huge impact, the "Natural Process" can have far greater impact for it addresses a basic need in American society -- property rights versus an ever expanding socialist big government. Property rights are at the core of the American Experiment in history.
The "Natural Process" sucks the very wind and energy out of government abuse, thereby freeing up an massive surge in the economy while better conserving the nation's natural resources.
We are fortunate to be in on the ground floor of the most important sea-change since the Nation's founding.
The question is -- Are we going to allow the current apathetic slavery continue???? or -- Are we smart enough to reach out and grasp the golden ring???

The golden ring is a big monster but thankfully it is possible to pick it up in tiny pieces to repair the damage done to our 1/4, 1/2, 1, 10 and 160 acre lots. If just a small percentage of Americans cared about their land's health and we could get the government off our backs we could repair the entire country in a decade. The current problem is the weight of the government on our backs.

I've been saving this for quite some time. Now seems to be a good time because it strengthens my words.

It was an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, State of Michigan. Wait till you read this guy's response-but read the State's letter before you get to the response letter.

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Mr. Ryan DeVries
2088 Dagget St.
Pierson, MI 49339

SUBJECT: DEQ File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Montcalm County

Dear Mr. DeVries:

It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity:

Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond. A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity.! A review of the Department's files shows that no permits have been issued. Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, annotated.

The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2002.

Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a ! follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff. Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action.

We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter.

Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
David L. Price
District Representative Land and Water Management Division

____________________________________________________________

This is the actual response sent back:

Dear Mr. Price,

Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Montcalm County.

Your certified letter dated 12/17/97 has been handed to me to respond to.

I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget, Pierson, Michigan. A couple of beavers are in the (State unauthorized) process of constructing and maintaining two wood "debris" dams acr! oss the outlet stream of my Spring Pond.

While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials "debris."

I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.

As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity. My first dam question to you is: (1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers or (2) do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request? If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Free! dom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, annotated.

I have several concerns. My first concern is - aren't the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation-so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer. The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event causing flooding is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect.

In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling their dam names. If yo! u want the stream "restored" to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers - but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter they being unable to read English.

In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams).

So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2002? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them then.

In conclusion, I would like to bring to your atten! tion to a real environmental quality (health) problem in the area. It is the bears! Bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your step! (The bears are not careful where they dump!)

Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office .

Mr. Ryan DeVries
2088 Dagget St.
Pierson, MI 49339

Here's the article from the Curry Coastal Pilot:

CURRY COUNTY RESIDENTS MEET PRESIDENT
Published: August 24, 2002
By Charles Kocher
Pilot Publisher

CENTRAL POINT – Several Brookings residents were in just the right spot to shake the president's hand Thursday after George W. Bush addressed a crowd of 5,000 about forest management policy.

Rocky and Jeanette McVay sat in the second row of the onstage bleachers behind the president, just off the shoulder of cabinet members, congressmen and governors.

"I've still got goosebumps," Rocky said Friday. While the presidential hand-shaking just missed Rocky, Jeannette did get to shake his hand.

Rocky McVay is executive director of the O&C Counties Association, and has worked on forest management and revenue sharing policy.

When the presidential visit was announced, Congressman Greg Walden's office gave McVay 50 tickets to distribute, first to Oregon's county commissioners and then to others.

But he really didn't believe Walden's office when they told him that they would be sitting onstage, and he tried to decline the honor because he is "just staff."

The McVay's front-and-center seating, he said Friday, was by repeated direction of the White House stage manager who was arranging everything from dignitaries to potted plants before Bush entered the arena.

"I kept thinking we would be off the stage, and then after they brought us out, I thought they would move us," McVay said. "But he kept saying, ‘No, you're sitting right there.' "

Dan Brattain and his son Zach were among McVay's invitees, and they ended up about 10 rows back in the center of the auditorium, just next to another Brookings' resident, Jeff Johnson.

As Bush shook hands after the speech, the trio decided to press forward, hoping the president would come off stage.

A Secret Service agent, said Dan Brattain, told them where to stand for the best chance – and they got to press the presidential flesh.

Zach said the secret service agent had a hold of his belt and checking his pocket as he shook Bush's hand.

Also attending the event was more than a dozen Girls Scouts from the Brookings-Harbor area and Crescent City.

On Monday, the Girl Scouts of Winema Council, based in Medford, was provided with 225 tickets to see the president. The girls showed up in their uniforms to see and listen to Bush speak.

Candace Bartow, the council's executive director, said, "The girls were great! I was particularly pleased the President talked about the importance of service to the community since that reinforces so much of what we are about in Girl Scouts."

Others from Curry County in the audience included State Rep. Wayne Krieger, County Commissioner Marlyn Schafer, Port of Brookings Harbor Commissioner Norma Fitzgerald, and several members of "the McVay clan."

They were part of an audience that clearly knew natural resource issues were the order of the day.

Fresh from a tour of a wildfire site and a briefing on forest management, U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith introduced Bush, calling the visit "the difference between stewardship and watching it all go up in smoke ... and to say thank you to the men and women who are fighting to keep us free from catastrophe."

"Our job is to do everything we can to prevent forest fires from happening in the first place," Bush said after thanking firefighters. "It's an American ideal to preserve our forest. It's one of the changes we've got to make."

The cost of fighting the fires and lost resources, Bush said, "have been a drag on the economy." He told the crowd common sense thinning and brush clearing will make a difference, along with changes in environmental regulations and adoption by Congress of the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan.

And when he complained that good forest management is hindered by "endless litigation," the crowd offered one of its loudest standing ovations.

"As Americans we want to have a right to the courthouse, but there's a fine balance," Bush said.

He tied the forest management to the economy. "We've got to have healthy forest policy; it will yield a better economy. This is just common sense."

The fires of the summer prove the need for some of the forest changes, he added. "It's a sad way for people to learn, but we're making progress."

Bush used the rest of his hour to touch on a variety of topics:

• "For the sake of economic growth," Bush said, "we need to make the tax relief permanent."

•He railed against "frivolous and junk lawsuits" driving up medical costs, and the demands of trial lawyers hindering anti-terrorism insurance.

•Bush asked for broader trade authority. "I'll use that to open up more market for Oregon ranch and farm products."

•He promised to lock up corporate executives who "cook the books" but defended the "vast majority" of corporate managers as "decent, hardworking people."

The crowd responded to all the presidential applause lines, but saved its most enthusiasm and standing ovations for the president's tough stand against terrorism, a call for increased military salaries and spending, a mention of restoring farmers' water rights in the Klamath Basin, and a reference to keeping "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance."

The attacks against America, the President said, "have awakened a great compassionate spirit of service in America. It's that send of service, working to make America the very best it can be, that makes our country great."

Bush flew from Medford to Portland, where he met with 14 state representatives to discuss regional issues.

Russ Crabtree, executive director of the Port of Brookings Harbor, was one of those chosen.

Crabtree said the group discussed education, health care, assisted living, and coastal shallow and deep draft port issues. He said the exchange of information was enlightening.

"He was thoroughly briefed on the issues and understood them very well," said Crabtree, who was chosen to represent the South Coast at the meeting by Sen. Gordon Smith.

"I found the president to have a lot of charisma. He was very personable and very approachable."

The meeting lasted approximately two hours, during which Bush informed the group of his administration's position on domestic and international issues.

He also sought input from the group on regional issues, Crabtree said.

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