🚀 go-pugleaf

TO:       Forest Activists FROM:     Jim Owens DATE:     September
21, 1994

SUBJECT:  Headwaters Passes House;
	  Gorton Withdraws Salvage Rider

1.   In a stunning victory, Rep. Dan Hamburg's (D-CA) Headwaters
     Forest Act (H.R. 2866) passed the House of Representatives
     this afternoon on a 288 to 133 vote.  The bill passed after a
     series of strengthening and clarifying amendments to the bill
     were passed, including a $200,000,000 cap on spending for the
     Headwaters Forest.  An amendment offered by Rep. Richard
     Pombo (R-CA) that would have excised a 13,620 acre area from
     the bill was defeated after a spirited debate.  Final passage
     of the bill was almost guaranteed following the approval of
     the bloc of amendments, and the defeat of the Pombo

     The bill now goes to the Senate, where Sen. Barbara Boxer has
     already introduced a companion Headwaters Forest Act, S.
     2285.  Since there are only two or three weeks remaining
     before the 103rd Congress adjourns, Senate passage of the
     bill is not assured.  Strange things do happen in the closing
     hours of any Congress, though, and with your support the
     Headwaters Forest Act may yet reach the President's desk for
     enactment into law.

2.   While Rep. Hamburg was lining up his votes for the Headwaters
     Forest Act, the House-Senate Conference on the Interior
     Appropriations bill took place in the Capitol building.  Sen.
     Slade Gorton (R-WA) offered his salvage/sufficiency
     amendment, which met strong opposition from Rep. Sid Yates
     (D-IL), who stated that "in no circumstance can I accept this
     amendment."  Rep. Yates was joined by Sen. Patty Murray and
     Rep. Norm Dicks in opposing the Gorton rider.

     It appears that the Kempthorne rider, which would have
     overturned a recent court ruling requiring consultation on
     Forest Plans where management would have impacted a sensitive
     species, does not as yet have a sponsor, and will probably
     not be offered for Conference consideration.

     The Conference Committee will meet again tomorrow, when it
     will take up the roads budget, and other issues.  We will
     provide you with a final review of the Interior
     Appropriations conference when it is completed.