Bonnie gives administration views on forestry bills
July 17, 2015 |04:31 PM
Agriculture Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment Robert Bonnie presented the Obama administration’s views on a series of proposed forestry bills at a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on Thursday.
“While most of the pine trees in Kansas are in the form of telephone poles, I want to convey to all those listening that this committee has significant interest in the national forest system,” Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said in an opening statement.
“I’m sure that my colleagues would agree with me, being a member of this committee means that you not only represent your state’s agricultural interests, but you also represent all of agriculture, of which forestry plays a most important role,” Roberts added.
“The administration has pointed out repeatedly that fire suppression costs are threatening to swallow the Forest Service whole,” Roberts said.
“Congress has before it numerous proposals to provide a stable source of fire suppression funding without compromising needed management,” he said. “As we move forward, my hope would be that the administration would engage with Congress on the issue of reforming the Forest Service in addition to fixing the fire funding problem.”
