00:00Good afternoon. Today we welcome Mr. Michael Boren of Idaho to the committee as we consider his nomination to be Undersecretary for the Natural Resources and Environment, or NRE, Mission Area at the Department of Agriculture.
00:17The forest and grasslands of the United States Forest Service serve a variety of functions, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, oil, gas, minerals, and timber.
00:26I look forward to hearing from Mr. Boren on how he views this multiple-use mandate for the Forest Service.
00:34I'm concerned that recent years have seen a reduction in the priority for timber.
00:37However, I'm pleased with some of the actions President Trump and USDA have taken to try and address this problem.
00:44Utilizing our forests to sequester carbon also requires responsibility by harvesting timber and properly managing our forests,
00:52which provide an almost unlimited resource, resulting in a win-win for everyone.
00:57When timber is harvested and ultimately stored in lumber and other end products, that carbon is preserved almost permanently.
01:05Perhaps an even better way our forests can serve our nation's environmental powerhouse is by preventing and mitigating future catastrophic wildfires.
01:13There's a statistic I know we've all heard before, but it's still astounding to me.
01:18California wildfires in 2020 released twice as many greenhouse emissions from the state,
01:23produced twice as many greenhouse emissions than the state reduced between 2003 and 2019.
01:33Properly managing our nation's forests can do more to prevent carbon emissions than almost anything else we can do in Congress.
01:39Thankfully, this committee is currently considering the Fix Our Forest Acts,
01:45and we hope to move this forward in the very near future and get this legislation signed into law.
01:50FOFA will provide the right tools and processes for our federal land management agencies,
01:56including the U.S. Forest Service, to mitigate the frequency and intensity of catastrophic wildfires.
02:01If confirmed as the Undersecretary of the USDA mission area that oversees the Forest Service,
02:08the committee will look to you to quickly implement FOFA and follow Congressional intent.
02:15Your leadership and background will be critical in ensuring the Forest Service is efficient
02:20and effective in carrying out the critical job of the mission area.
02:24Doing this successfully will ensure that all Americans can enjoy the benefits of our nation's forests and grasslands for years to come.
02:34I expect that Congress and this committee will be able to work with Mr. Bourne
02:38and rely on his professionalism and candor as we conduct necessary oversight over the multitude of programs and efforts under his purview.
02:46We expect you and your team will be prompt in our request and work with the committee to provide needed information and technical assistance.
02:54We will trust your experience and expertise to steward our national forest over the course of your time,
03:01should you be confirmed as Undersecretary.
03:04Mr. Bourne, I want to again congratulate you on your nomination to be Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment at USDA,
03:12and we look forward to hearing from you today.
