WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) questioned U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Chief Thomas Tidwell about sage grouse conservation plans and the USFS maintenance backlog. Barrasso specifically called on Tidwell to justify adding new administrative staff, new land acquisitions and new roads when the USFS currently has a $5 billion maintenance backlog.
Tidwell was testifying before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee regarding the USFS budget request for Fiscal Year 2017.
On U.S. Forest Service’s Maintenance Backlog & Land Acquisitions:
“Chief Tidwell, good to see you again. I have some serious concerns about the way that the Forest Service continues is prioritizing its management objectives.
“The budget makes it clear that the Forest Service values expansion of costly, counterproductive programs, as I see they’re much more than maintenance and management of current assets.
“There are funding increases for new roads, for land acquisitions, while funding for capital improvement and maintenance, road maintenance, timber products remains level or actually goes down a bit.
“It seems that the Forest Service should reevaluate its priorities.
“Not only would investment in active management and maintenance of current assets lower the future maintenance backlog, I think it would actually help improve forest users’ experiences, forest health, watershed health, and help decrease the incidence and severity of the catastrophic wildfires that we’re all concerned about.
“Could you please explain how can you justify adding this administrative staff, new lands, and new roads when the Forest Service currently has about a $5 billion maintenance backlog of projects and it is really unable at this point to address these within the current priority structure?
Click here for video of Sen. Barrasso questioning USFS Chief Tidwell on USFS Maintenance Backlog
On Sage Grouse Conservation Plans:
“I want to switch to sage grouse. Last September the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior announced federal, landscape-scale conservation plans for the Greater Sage Grouse habitat—11 western states impacted.
“The plans are controversial, given the successful conservation work that’s already been undertaken by states like Wyoming, with our specialized management plans.
“So five months have now passed since that announcement.
“And yet, to my knowledge, agency personnel on the ground in Wyoming still don’t have guidance documents about how – or when – the agency intends to implement the plans.
“It hasn’t stopped the agency, though, from stating that seasonal uses, like grazing on local forests, may change.
“So how is it possible that the agency staff can notify permittees that agency policy might change when they really haven’t even received guidance documents?
Follow up:
“And that’s my concern in terms of Wyoming, the last couple of weekends hearing specifically about that, asking that you communicate more clearly with permittees, with agency personnel and the governor’s office.
“Because you’re right, Wyoming has done an exceptional job, it’s been highlighted as a place that’s done it right. And we don’t want to compromise the hard work being done in Wyoming and other western states to conserve the sage grouse.”
Click here for video of Sen. Barrasso questioning USFS Chief Tidwell on Sage Grouse
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