Jeb Bradley

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the leadership of the Resources Committee on both sides of the aisle, as well as the leadership on both sides of the aisle in the House, for allowing myself, Congressman Bass and Congressman Sanders to have another opportunity to debate this bill today.

What we have before us is a compromise in true New England fashion, with both States' delegations and Governors of both States having worked together to bring before the House a consensus package that represents the best interests of my colleague's State of Vermont and the best interests of my State of New Hampshire.

As someone who is an avid hiker and someone who will have a little bit more time now to hike, I can attest to all Members of the House, this wilderness designation makes sense for New Hampshire. I have hiked in both regions of the proposed wilderness designation. They are worthy of this additional protection of wilderness designation.

In the case of New Hampshire, myself and Congressman Bass, Senator Gregg and Senator Sununu, the sponsors of this measure, have worked extensively with all sides that were interested in this legislation, both environmental groups, logging interests, snowmobiling groups to make sure that we had a plan that mirrored the interests of Tom Wagner, who is the administrator of the White Mountain National Forest, and his very capable group of people that proposed the White Mountain National Forest plan and the wilderness designation.

As a side note, the White Mountain National Forest plan, despite all the comments that came in after the plan was published, in particular comments about wilderness designation, was not challenged in court by any of the various interests, which is a tribute to how hard New Hampshire interests worked on the compromise that you see before you today.

So, as somebody who has spent extensive time hiking in the White Mountain National Forest, including in these two proposed wilderness designations, the Sandwich designation, as well as the Wild River designation, I thank again my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for allowing this bill to come forward. I thank the leadership on both sides for allowing this bill to come forward. It is truly going to protect both the Green Mountain National Forest and the White Mountain National Forest, and I would welcome all of you to come join me in hiking in these two wilderness designations once they have been signed into law.

Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleagues from Guam and New Mexico for their support of this legislation.

This legislation was sponsored by my colleague Congressman Bass, who is unable to be here today. As the gentleman from New Mexico stated, it has broad support in New Hampshire. In fact, we are not aware of any opposition whatsoever. It has the support of a number of environmental groups as well as interested businesses that are in the forest products industry. It was a result of consensus among all of the interested parties in New Hampshire, and I urge its adoption.

Also, on a personal note, having hiked extensively in this area of the White Mountain National Forest, it is a worthy candidate for wilderness designation. It is one of the most beautiful areas of our State, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill unanimously

Mr. Speaker, once again I thank my colleagues from Guam and New Mexico for their support of this legislation. Like Congressman Bass's bill previously, my bill expands by nearly 11,000 acres the Sandwich Range Wilderness Area in the central part of the White Mountain National Forest.

The Forest Service in the State of New Hampshire, working once again with environmental groups, with businesses involved in the forest products industry, developed a comprehensive plan for the management of the White Mountain National Forest. Both of these wilderness proposals have seen fit to have garnered the support of everyone in New Hampshire that I am aware of.

The Forest Service plan had absolutely no appeals and is in the process of being implemented. The legislation that myself and Congressman Bass have separately proposed would implement the two wilderness proposals and, as I have repeatedly stated, has received no objections.

It is certainly my hope, and I appreciate the support of my colleague on the other side of the aisle, as well as my colleague from New Mexico, for this legislation, should go forward this afternoon. It will protect the New Hampshire environment. It will also serve the forest products industry in my State. And I would urge my colleagues in the strongest possible way to vote for both of these bills later on today, despite the call for a vote potentially by my colleague on the other side of the aisle