The head of a Congressional panel wants to make sure that the federal government is striking the right balance between preserving national forests and supporting the timber industry.
Congressmen Joe Baca (D-CA) was in Appleton Monday for a hearing on forest management, at the Radisson Paper Valley hotel. He says key issues in the debate include preserving forests and managing the industry, while still effectively using the resource. Baca says he also wanted to see how the industry is impacted by foreign competitors.
Baca is the chair of a House subcommittee on forests, which held the hearing at the request of Congressman Steve Kagen (D-WI). The Appleton Democrat says national forest policies can have an impact on other land. Kagen says, when we fail to properly manage federal forest land, it can have a negative impact on state and county lands.
Kagen says Wisconsin's national forests can play a role in turning around the economy, because of the timber that is available.
AUDIO: U.S. Rep. Joe Baca (MP3 :20)
