Gorton grills Forest Service chief

Washington, D.C. - U. S. Senator Slade Gorton (R-WA) grilled Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck March 3 during a Senate Energy Committee hearing examining the President's proposed FY 99 Forest Service budget proposal. At issue was a speech given on Monday by Dombeck that outlines his 'vision' of the agency. Dombeck's vision favors recreation and conservation over the needs of rural, timber-dependent communities.

"Dombeck's one-sided 'vision' comes at a time when the Packwood Pacific Lumber and Shipping Mill in East Lewis County, WA announced last week that it must lay off 76 workers to cope with declining timber sales," Gorton said. "How will the vision of Mike Dombeck and Al Gore help our rural, working timber families?"

Gorton, the Chair of the Interior Subcommittee which is responsible for funding the Forest Service, also addressed the Administration's blatant disregard for Congress when formulating new policy proposals.

"I am becoming increasingly frustrated and finding it more and more difficult to provide the level of funds you are requesting when you refuse even to sit down and talk with Congress before embarking on major, new policy initiatives," Gorton said to Dombeck.

Gorton referred to the moratorium on new road construction as the best symbol of the agency's disregard for Congress.

"We offered bipartisan negotiations on road policies. We were ignored," Gorton added during his weekly radio address. "If they aren't willing to engage in balanced policies, I don't know why they should constantly get increases in funding from taxpayers' money."

Gorton will revisit this issue when Dombeck testifies before his committee on April 23rd.