U.S. Flag and Missouri State Flag Kit Bond, Sixth Generation Missourian
 

AT TALENT & BOND’S REQUEST, FOREST SERVICE EXTENDS COMMENT PERIOD ON PROPOSED MARK TWAIN FOREST SALE

Contact: Rob Ostrander 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Wednesday, March 29, 2006

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) U.S. Senators Jim Talent and Kit Bond today announced that the Forest Service has honored their request to extend the comment period on the Administration’s proposal to sell portions of the Mark Twain National Forest. Talent and Bond, together with Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson, Congressman Kenny Hulshof and Congressman Roy Blunt, requested an extension in a letter to the Forest Service on March 9. The original comment period was due to close on March 30, but will be extended to May 1.

“I’m pleased they have extended the comment period for Missourians, but I’ve reached the conclusion that this proposal is beyond resuscitation,” said Sen. Talent. “My objective was to determine how serious the Forest Service was about this proposal and their inability to respond quickly and appropriately has undermined this effort. I will not support a proposal in which Missouri sells more and gets less compared to other states. They need to go back to the drawing board and develop a new plan to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools Act.”

“While I am pleased that the Forest Service extended the comment period, I am disappointed that Missourians were not given even more time to express their concerns on this ambiguous and complex proposal,” said Sen. Bond. “It is obvious that, not only is this inequitable proposal a bad deal for Missouri, it is also poorly planned. I hope the Administration can find another solution that does not harm Missouri's environmental or education interests.”

Earlier this month, Talent, Bond and Emerson wrote USDA Under Secretary Mark Rey opposing the proposal to sell portions of the Mark Twain National Forest to provide funding for America’s rural schools. Talent, Bond and Emerson called the proposed formula is “grossly inequitable.”

Under the proposal, Missouri would sell 21,566 acres of the Mark Twain National Forest, while collecting only $2.64 million in revenue for our rural schools. In contrast, many Western states are scheduled to sell far fewer acres, while receiving substantial returns. For example, Oregon is slated to sell only 10,581 acres of National Forest land, while receiving $260 million for their rural schools. Talent, Bond and Emerson said the formula is “grossly inequitable.

The Mark Twain National Forest is one of Missouri’s greatest treasures. It is a series of land tracts throughout southern and central Missouri covering 29 counties in the state. The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to sell as much as 21,566 acres of the 1.5 million acre Forest to provide funding for a five-year extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act.

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