Opening Statements

Remarks as prepared:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The National Forest Foundation has a simple mission – bring people together to restore and enhance our national forests and grasslands.

Through the Foundation, we are able to leverage private and federal dollars to support our nation’s great forests in a variety of ways. These include planting trees, preserving wildlife habitat, surveying streams, restoring and maintaining trails, and the list goes on. The Foundation has also taken it upon themselves to educate and engage the American public on the importance of our national forests, as well as the natural resources found within them.

Since its charter in 1993, the Foundation has been essential in helping to meet the challenges the National Forest System faces. It is an integral component in keeping our national forests, such as the Allegheny National Forest in my district and dozens of other national forests around the country, viable and thriving for years to come.

Simply put, the National Forest Foundation works, and this is a common-sense reauthorization. I urge my colleagues to vote yes.