Wild and Scenic Rivers Act Amendments

Floor Speech

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I thank the gentleman from Alaska for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4283, which is intended to authorize the use of maintenance equipment and the replacement of some outdated and potentially hazardous energy facilities at the River of No Return Lodge in Smith Gulch on the Salmon River in Idaho.

As it currently sits, the River of No Return Lodge is a small outfitter on the Salmon River that provides a unique recreational experience operating under a Forest Service permit.

Unfortunately, the Forest Service does not believe it has clear authorization to permit the use of necessary maintenance or replacement of facilities. This proposed bill is an effort to clarify Congress' intent in legislation passed in 2004 to retain the basic characteristics of the lodge without substantially altering the existing use.

This legislation makes it clear that the owners of the lodge are authorized to use weed trimmers, chainsaws, and other maintenance equipment needed for the general upkeep of the lodge.

It also will allow the outfitter to reduce or eliminate his reliance on propane fuel and replace it with modest renewable energy sources. I believe H.R. 4283 keeps recreational opportunities available on our public lands, while maintaining the ability to keep our lands in even better shape for future generations of Americans. The Congressional Budget Office has also scored this bill at no cost to the taxpayer.

It should be noted that a few small changes were made during the markup of H.R. 4283 to address both the technical corrections and concerns raised by interested parties. The bill, as amended, has been crafted with the sentiments of both the Idaho Conservation League and The Wilderness Society in mind.

We trust that the Forest Service will faithfully grant authorization for the maintenance and replacement activities without the burden of unreasonable environmental review costs.

I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation that has been carefully crafted with the stakeholders' views in mind, so the operator of the River of No Return Lodge can perform the fundamental maintenance and replace outdated energy sources needed to carry out this small business with respect to the existing law.

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