should be broadly defined to include recognition of the need for commodities, jobs and the renewability of those resources such as trees, forage and water, through management and use. Under the definitions in Sec. 2, we would recommend that following the word "resources" on line 24, page 3, the following be inserted, "and the part they play in supplying food, fiber and other necessities." We wonder whether the intent of the phrase contained in lines 1 and 2, page 4, "not necessarily the combination of uses that will give the greatest economic return or the greatest unit output," won't erect a legal barrier which will allow the agencies not to act when it is clear that they should provide optimum management for the subject lands which in many instances may be imperative to provide Americans with homes, jobs and good local government. Another question we would raise is about the term "areas of critical environmental concern" in Sec. 2 (e). We believe that if forest and related lands were left unprotected and unmanaged because of designation by the Secretary as "areas of critical environmental concern," just setting them aside by designation, in our opinion, is not enough. They should be protected and managed. In Sec. 101 (2), lines 4 through 9, page 9, it is obvious to us that this Section is intended to cover surface mining of non-renewable resources, but a broad construction of it might imply that timber harvesting is also covered. Because the Government itself, as the landowner, undertakes the reforestation of harvested and burned-over forest lands, it should be made abundantly clear that this Section does not construe timber harvesting as "extraction." In Sec. 209, unless the terms "proper land use" and "protection of the public interest" are clearly defined, we would recommend that they be stricken and a period inserted following the word "necessary" on line 21, page 18. If they are left in the Bill, they should be clearly defined because recent Court interpretations of other public land policy laws seem to err on the side of preventing, - 6 prohibiting or severely restricting opportunities for employment, production of essential commodities and contribution of the Federal Government's fair share of the support for local government by the productive management and use of adjacent Federal lands. We appreciate greatly having the opportunity to discuss S. 507 with your Committee, Mr. Chairman, and hope that our suggestions will be helpful in completing your efforts with the Bill. Senator HASKELL. Thank you very much, Mr. Hagenstein. Most of your suggestions are of a technical nature, not that they are unimportant, but technical in the sense of clarifying and this type of thing. I would ask the staff, the minority and the majority, to go over them and confer, and see which ones they might feel are meritorious. Mr. MacCleery, is your statement rather long? Mr. MACCLEERY. About 8 minutes, or so. Senator HASKELL. Any other people who are witnesses, if these votes keep on all afternoon, I am going to have to adjourn this hearing to another time, because I don't think it is fair to the people who are testifying, and it is not really fair to me or to any other Senator who wishes to be here, to have this 5-minute type of hearing. I will be back, Mr. MacCleery, after I go over to the Senate floor, and I will just have to play it by ear from there. [Whereupon, a recess was taken.] Mr. QUARLES. It would appear that the situation on the floor precludes receiving further testimony today. Therefore, the hearing will be adjourned, subject to the call of the Chair. [Whereupon, at 2:35 p.m. the hearing was adjourned, subject to the call of the Chair.] MANAGEMENT OF NATIONAL RESOURCE LANDS THURSDAY, MAY 15, 1975 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND LAND RESOURCES, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room 3110, Dirksen Office Building, Hon. Floyd K. Haskell presiding. Present: Senators Haskell, Metcalf, Fannin, and Hansen. Also present: Steven P. Quarles, counsel; Thomas B. Williams, professional staff member; and W. O. Craft, Jr., deputy minority counsel. Senator HASKELL. The subcommittee will come to order. This is the time and place set for the hearing on S. 507, the National Resource Lands Management Act, and S. 1292, the administration's proposal. S. 1292 was submitted by the administration too late to be considered at the March 7 hearing. I will, however, insert it in the record at this point. [The bill and Department report follow:] |