Opening Statements

WASHINGTON, DC — House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15) delivered the following opening statement at today's hearing, “Reviewing Partnerships to Enhance Management of the National Forest System.” Remarks as prepared:

Good morning. I would like to thank Chairman Newhouse and Ranking Member Salinas for holding this Subcommittee hearing today on the importance of partnerships for the health of our nation’s forests. 

I’d like to take a moment to recognize our great friend Doug LaMalfa.  Doug certainly would have many thoughts and insights into today’s discussion. He was a great friend and chairman, and he is sorely missed.

With that, I’d also like to acknowledge Chairman Newhouse as the new subcommittee Chair and Representative Valadao as a new Member of both the full Committee and this Subcommittee.

As for today’s hearing, partnerships with the Forest Service greatly benefit Pennsylvania’s 15^th district by directly supporting forest health, bolstering the forest products industry, expanding recreation opportunities on public lands, and similar impacts are felt in areas near National Forests in 40 different states. 

To me, it’s common sense that the current forest health crisis and the issues facing our forest products industry share a common solution: increasing active management and sustainable timber harvest levels to benefit both ecological health and rural communities. 

While this Committee has continued to support the Forest Service through partnerships, much more can be done, starting with swift passage of a new farm bill.

I am proud to say that we have worked diligently over the last few years to ensure the Farm, Food, and National Security Act has a robust forestry title that will broaden and strengthen the Forest Service’s toolbox for active forest management, including enhancements to authorities that allow them to engage in critical partnerships with organizations like those we have sitting before us today. These improvements have become increasingly important in recent years as the wildfire and forest health crisis in this country has continued.

That is why the time to act is now. I am proud of the work the House Committee on Agriculture has done over the last several years, and I am proud of the bipartisan vote that our Farm Bill recently received on the floor of the House. With the release of text this week, I strongly encourage the Senate to act on a new farm bill as soon as possible. It is long overdue, and millions of people around this country depend on its passage for certainty in a wide variety of lines of work. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back.