Printer
Friendly Version
U.S. Senate committee approves
Wyden's bill to establish Prineville forest health research center
Central Oregon Research Center Would
Help Reduce Fire Risks, Boost Economy
March 24, 2004
Washington,
DC – U.S.
Senator Ron Wyden's bill (S. 1910) to establish a forest health
research center at the Ochoco National Forest headquarters in
Prineville, Oregon today passed the U.S. Senate Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources.
The Prineville facility will be charged with carrying out an
inventory and assessment of forest stands on federal land and,
with the consent of owners, private forest land. The assessment
will evaluate forest health conditions now and in the future,
and consider the ecological impacts of insect, disease, invasive
species, fire and weather-related events.
"Establishing a forest health research center in the heart
of central Oregon, a place where people know firsthand the importance
of protecting communities from catastrophic wildfires, makes
obvious sense," said Wyden. "Prineville is ideally
positioned for this facility, which will also provide a welcome
boost to the local economy."
The Prineville center will work in tandem with other science
centers, like those at universities across the west, to make
sure data is as accurate as possible in order to improve forest
management.
During last November's debates over a forest health bill, Wyden,
while leading efforts in the U.S. Senate to pass a balanced wildfire
bill, was able to attach his Prineville provision to the Healthy
Forests Restoration Act. During final negotiations on the bill,
all projects were stripped out despite a coordinated effort by
Wyden and U.S. Representative Greg Walden to preserve the Prineville
center language in the final wildfire bill. Wyden and Walden
then each introduced stand-alone legislation, in their respective
chambers, to create the Prineville center. At a February 12,
2004 U.S. Senate hearing, the Administration stated its support
for the bill.
Following today's vote, the bill is now approved for consideration
by the full U.S. Senate.
# # #
