Test. Test. Test. Test. Test. We talked about different parts of alaska, especially the lower part where the opportunity to harvest timber in a reasonable, sustainable traditional method has been taken off the table. Thats hurting real communities and some areas in washington, the catastrophic fires, why do we have fires at the extent and magnitude that we do each year . The senator franken talked about global warming. The statistics i have from a single summer of forest fires in rose bud county, which very few people know other than senator danes, made it more particulate in the air during that season than running 3,000 years of coal strip. So lets manage our forest, our fires, our lands the way it was intended to. That means having the voice of alaska and the voice of the people that live there. And if i may, when we say how it was intended to, lays out clearly that reservation to the state of alaska with regards to the fish and Wildlife Management authorities. So i look forward to discussing this more with you. Senator cantwell. Thank you, madam chair and if i could in the second round go to some of the things that have been brought up in your testimony and clarify more on some issues of great importance to the state of washington. If we could on this chart, if i could, somebody mentioned there has been a war on coal. And in reality, i think this chart will show you that there has been a 23 . First one there . 23 decline in coal. And an increase in natural gas. So you can see, might want to turn it the other way so people can see it, thank you. And according to the Energy Information agency, between 2008, coal was significantly less expensive and supplied about 50 of our generation but since the beginning of 2009, that gap between coal and Natural Gas Prices have narrowed and a large amount of gas produced from shale formations, and i dont blame fracking, but guess what, it led to a lot more natural gas and lower natural gas pricing and a lot more consumption of natural gas than coal. So i dont know if you want to say that natural gas is having a war on coal. Im not going there. Im simply saying that this is the fact that this has been driven by the market, and according to the Energy Efficiency agency, this is a market function. The reason why this is an important question is as weve discussed this issue about getting a fair deal for taxpayers, its the g. A. O. And the interior Inspector General both found that blm recently undervalued federal coal at a cost of the taxpayers at Something Like 60 million over ten years. So i want to make sure that when i asked you earlier, you said you were committed to reviewing this issue. One of the colleagues said youre ready to end the moratorium. What i want to know is, are you going to make sure that the fairness of taxpayers is going to get your attention and the attention of this administration . Absolutely. You know, i think using objective statistics is important in making sure that our taxpayers get value and im very sensitive to that and im also sensitive to the great state of washington. Let me ask you about this. Because you also said and i believe you, i think anybody whos represented Indian Country, well, i cant say everybody but most people who have remitted Indian Country have dealt with the issue of tribal sovereignty and one way or another, you seem to have articulated a strong view of tribal sovereignty and tribal rights particularly for treaty tribes that those treaties have outlined obligations as a nation to nation status, is that right . Thats correct. You believe the lummy nation has a right to object to a coal terminal in Washington State based on their fishing rights and aggregation of their fishing rights . And i have obviously familiarity with this and up front, when i was a representative of montana, as i do currently, im strong on indian issues but stronger on montana issues. As a secretary of interior, now i have to be strong on all issues. And on the specific gateway terminal, what i raised my eyebrow strongly on is i didnt take a position whether yes or no in the terminal. I took a position to make sure the nepa process was followed and the eis was completed before making a judgment. What i found was we were close to ending the nepa process with the eis after years and millions of dollars were spent on it, and then that was truncated in stocks by affidavits and i didnt judge whether they were affidavits were true or not true but just, if you dont finish the nipa process and dont finish neis and then all of the sudden, the process can be interrupted and the permit can go pulled on the basis of something outside the eis, why would you ever consent to spend millions of dollars on eis . That was my objection. You believe in the tribal sovereignty of lummy drive to object in this case . They had every right to object as in this case, who also have a treaty obligation. I found that you were picking one tribe over another and believe me, im from a state with great warrior tribes. Tribes are not monolithic, even in montana. Theres traditions, theres cultures, but one should not be in the business of picking one treaty over another, at least arbitrarily. This is where were working together. Thats not, definitely not where were going here. More about whether were uphold rights in the region on their ability to object on various developments that affect their ability to fish and maintain. I appreciate that. I have another question. Okay, then ill pass to my colleagues and well come back. Thank you, madam chair. I had one more question to get to in the first round related to Indian Country and economic prosperi prosperity. Congressman zinke, youve been a great part they are workiner on Indian Country. I think its important to realize that that was approved by the Montana Legislature 7 years ago and with your leadership in the house, the work we did here in the senate, we came together and got that passed in december. Thats a monumental effort. It was a great win for the black feet tribe and its an example, i think, of the partnership that we have had Going Forward here to help Indian Country. You have been a champion fighting on behalf of the crow tribes. As you mentioned here in the last exchange, theres sovereign right to develop their Coal Resources and as you said in your testimony, the Unemployment Rate in crow country will go north of 90 if they lose those jobs. Youve been fighting for federal recognition for the shell tribe. The bottom line is Indian Country should be very excited to have you in their corner as the next secretary of the interior. My question is tell us what you have done to help bring Economic Prosperity to Indian Country. Great question. You know, not enough. As you know, montana is an awful big state. First thing is ive visited and looked at the tribes and again, they are not monolithic. The challenge in the fort peck tribe, a lot of drugs and to a degree, the fork neck tribe rely on the mothers and grandmothers, the fabric of the tribe. Drugs have gone inside and theyve created havoc or maybe one generation or two generations has been at risk of that. And thats caused enormous upheavals in the culture of the tribe. As well as opportunity, economic opportunity. Not everyone lives in an area where you can develop casinos. A lot of the montana tribes are isolated and rely on the resource centric. Theres cla couple of exception but first to respect and empower to figure out what a specific tribe needs. What are the hurdles . This is a challenge and this is why bia is so important. They get really good people in bia that are willing to sacrifice and stay late and come to work early and its been attempted multiple times before without a lot of success, i would say. Talking to the great nations is, youve got to listen and develop a plan with the tribes because again, not every tribe is the same. Tribal health care is an issue. Tribal education is an issue. Prosperity, selfdetermination and this is an issue that we should all care very deeply about on it because it is important. From a Military Point of view, adopted a boy, michael bell was a seal. I put him through training and went home on break and was stabbed in the back and killed on the reservation. A needless pointless death of a warrior and a lot of tribes beat a military member has standing. Every time you go in and do either a pow wow or a ceremony, the military members always come in first. And here lies an opportunity for the military to help these tribes become leaders and go back to the different tribes and form the basis for lifting themselves and having selfdetermination, so i think theres an opportunity for military. I think theres an opportunity in the air trail systems of my wife, this was set on the landing team and real quickly, as the trail, the landing team and the v. A. Looked at opportunities for Homeless Veterans and veterans to do repair. I think that program can be looked at in the doi of our trails. Were way behind maintenance of trails. A lot of indian cultures have a strong tie to our trail systems, to our land. And its a metric. A trail system starts in one point, ends in another part and this is a great opportunity for indian nations to participate in a program that will get them out and work, but you have to Work Together with the tribes and they have to have buyin. Ill wrap up with a comment. The perspective youll bring to the job asontanamontanan, actua, you were born near yellow stone and grew up Near Glacier National Park but i think you also bring your military background, when you talk about Indian Country, the native americans have the highest percentage veteran populations of any ethnic group in our country and having your military service will bring, i think, an added dynamic to help out in Indian Country and with the bia where we have the men and women, you mentioned the story of mr. Bell but the men and women who come home from serving overseas with security clearances and then it takes us a year and a half to get their cleernarances. They want to get involved in Law Enforcement and the bia takes 12 or 18 months to clear them when they already had a security clearance overseas and with all the drug problems and crime problems in the reservation that they could help with more Law Enforcement. The open head count there. You could do a lot to help Indian Country and im grateful theyll have a new champion with new secretary of the interior. Look forward to it. Zl thank yo thank you. I want to start by giving you the opportunity to correct something on the record. Smokey the bear was not real. And i want to read to you from wikipedia the living symbol of smokey bear was an american black bear, 3 month old cub was caught in a kaputan gap fire. Do you dispute that as many. I do not. My grandchildren behind me. I also believe in santa claus. I want to establish that. I want to go back to the tribal sovereignty theme that the department of interior i think deserves great credit for over the last few years. One of the most important duties for secretaries to uphold the Nations Trust responsibility and tribes have been facing a tragic loss of their cultural patrimony to a growing International Market for tribal religious objects. These objects are not art. They were not created to be sold. They are sacred objects that are central to tribes cultural and spiritual practices and they were illegally stolen from the communities to which they belong. I give great credit to the department for doing the right thing, for being a stalwart ally and working with the state department and the department of justice to obtain award for the shields return. Thats an Ongoing Investigation but i want to ask you if you will commit to continue to work with the department of justice and attorney general and secretary of state to ensure that this remains a priority for all three of these departments. It remains, repatriation is an important issue and i first became familiar when the black feet had some of their ancestors in the smithsonian. And the process of repatriation because the tribe itself had different orders. They had different sects within the tribe and the repatriation process is enormously complicated and one that i dont pretend to understand but i do understand that it is complicated and even the tribe itself had to go through a number of rituals. Repatriation or artifacts that are important, the cultural identity, we need to pursue and we need to facilitate the return on it. You know, if someone bought rather than being stolen, if someone bought that, its something we got to work through, a legal framework. Buy something legally, thats different than someone pillaged and profited. I think the pillage and profiting side is without question we need to. Look forward to working with you on that. You made the statement about water in the west and federal water projects, constructs, the minister, really critical for states all up and down the Rocky Mountains. In new mexico, the navajo supply will bring much needed infrastructure to parts to our state that truly need it like clovis and portales have run dry and water reserves dwindle to a 20 year supply and in addition, many navajo families have literally never had Running Water at home. How will you ensure they bring these kinds of Critical Infrastructure projects to completion, Cost Effective completion . Well, first, clean water, i think, is a right. Its not a privilege. So well start there. Our water challenges, particularly in the west are immense. But were a great nation. Lets prioritize what we need to do. Part of it and ive always looked as infrastructure not an expense but an investment but having an investment now will prevent a lot of heartburn, heartache and unintended consequences in the future. Particularly when it comes to water and expanding recreation. Americans want to go outside and we need to give them the opportunity to do it. I keep ongoing back to the jobs bill. Its very difficult, as you know, on the house side, its probably more difficult than the senate side on some areas of spending money in the house side thats extraordinarily difficult on things. But were going to have to meet in the middle on making sure we are priorities set and making sure those water issues are enough of a priority, especially when it comes to isolated areas. Theres places in montana, you know, popular that dont really have access to water any other way than to pipe it from long distances and population of navajo tribe, not a lot. Not able to do it on their own. So you need a system in there to do it. Its expensive, recognize it is expensive and recognize also you dont need to overengineer everything so its so cost prohibitive where theres new technology, theres new piping technology. Lets look at innovative ways that are more Cost Effective and we need to put a little pressure on perhaps the army corps of engineers to faster adapt standards on some things, especially piping, when it comes to water so we could get it there at a better price. Thank you, senator henrik. Thank you madam chairman. Last wednesday, final days of the obama administration, blm detailed a report of the federal coal program. The report laid out a road map for administrative action. The problem is this. The Environmental Impact statement on the federal coal program is not yet even been completed. So the obama administration, once again, shows its hands demonstrating they believe facts shouldnt get in the way of predetermined outcome. So i am hopeful that the department of interior under your direction once confirmed will operate differently under you in the new administration. A lot of this hearing today concerned things that were able to repeal, roll back, otherwise eliminate but secretary of the interior, youre going to have the opportunity, an Incredible Opportunity to create a real culture of change in the agency i believe desperately needs it. And while the department of interior houses the blm, the bureau of reclamation, fish and wildlife, the Forest Service is part of the department of agriculture. Senator wieden brought up the issue about forestry, fire borrowing, senator cantwell and i held a hearing in seattle about the issues of wildfire and the concerns. So given that so many of the forested lands are outside of the department of interiors control, what would you do as secretary of interior to improve forestland on your jurisdiction and coordinate efforts with the department of agriculture and the forest chief . Up front, i think we need to look at the Forest Service and policies and have the discussion about what is the best math method of managing our lands . Checkerboard system. There was a reason why ag had Forest Service at the time. I think we need to reevaluate it and look at whats the best method for efficiency and fire policy with Forest Service land, making sure our access is consistent between Forest Service and blm. Montana, we have a lot of the the Canadian Border and turns out the Forest Service doesnt even give the key to the Homeland Security guys to do a security run along a road on the border. So even between the agencies, theres a cultural road block to working with each other even when it comes to borrowing a set of keys to go on the road. So i think everything should be on the table, and, again, i talked about a road map for the next hundred years. Lets be bold. Lets not come in with agendas. But where we want to be 100 years from now on our public lands. And theres certain things were going to agree on. I think theres going to be more we agree than disagree but on those things we can agree, lets look at a road map Going Forward and have the discussion. You may be familiar with president obamas 2015 president ial memorandum on mitigation. The memorandum called for new mitigation policies from the department of interior and fish and wildlife service. Last may, testified before this committee on one of those policies, the one focused on compensatory mitigation and basically amounted to extortion. Are you going to commit to revisiting the departments various mitigation policies to ensure that future requirements are more practical . Im going to have a very, very busy, if confirmed, and ill work with every state because you matter, wyoming matters and every state matters. If theres policies that are perceived as punitive that arent working in your state, my obligation is to work with you because you matter. Wyoming matters. Alaska matters. Washington matters. West virginia matters. New mexico matters. Not only a member of this committee but congress matters. My opening statement, i meant what i said about the arch for the benefit and the enjoyment of the people. I also absolutely meant when i said it was erected by congress, an act of congress. Thats an important point we need to go back to about making sure that you represent your great state and your constituency and that should be respected in our policies. And in terms of being very busy in what matters, i was a former chair of the Indian Affairs committee. The three of us have been former chairs of the Indian Affairs committee. I think its going to require the bure the, the bureau of Indian Affairs will require the agreement. Weve seen how theres real disastrous human implications so i appreciate your efforts there as well and madam chairman, i see my time has expired, so Senate Heinrich and i will come together to compose written questions regarding smokey the bear, yogi bear, and teddy bear. Thank you, for being here and putting yourself on the line and thank you very much and commend you for having bipartisan introduction. That doesnt happen very often. Well, thank you. Didnt know if you wanted to call me on that or not. I have support, i hopefully have support, bipartisan, but i think thats what we need for this job because the job isnt republican or democrat. Its america. This job. Also, you came to visit me and things we hold near and dear to us and you promised that you would come to the state of West Virginia. Everyone else asked for the same. So i need to know in what order. Well, my first order is the great state of utah. Theres some real, seals call the 5 meter targets, up close, we have a problem, out in north dakota because that could go bad in a number of different ways. We have a problem obviously in the great state of utah and alaska is always important to me. I till dont knstill dont k West Virginia is an easy drive. I know youre coming. I know that. Let me talk about the stream protection rule. Because a lot of times and especially coming from the state of West Virginia and like montana, a lot of people think we dont care about the clean water or air act, Safe Drinking Water act and other laws that have been fundamental in improving all of our lives and i want everyone to know theres no way were rolling back any of those but some make no sense whatsoever and far reaching. I cant get some people to tell me what the definition of a stream is. So if you could give me a little bit as your stream protection, what is your protection on the review act to rescind this regulation. Thank you for the question. It is important to me, and oddly enough, as i was reviewing the transcript from secretary jewel as she came in before this committee, one of the questions was, can you define a stream . So that is a question. The stream protection rule, in my mind, is about water. All of us should agree that we want clean water. And all of us should also recognize that geology is different. As a geologist, the geology in the appalachian, much different. And a policy about stream protection when its looked at specifically on the appalachians, i think, quite frankly, we can do better. This is where one size doesnt fit all. We need to make sure that if were going to mine, drill, harvest, that we want to do it right. Protection of water is, has to be a priority with that. And there are ways absolutely to make sure, absolutely, that we do it right to protect our water. Good. Im willing to work with you. The stream should have water in it, right . It should have water in it and inner connectivity. It also helps. Sub service, service, connectivity, movement of water and you can isolate different areas. When they talk about runoff, what does runoff, if its captured in a holding pond, what does runoff during a storm drain . These are issues. You can take it too far in every case where it becomes punitive and not going to get anything done. You can imagine in our state with the terrain we have how difficult it is to do anything. You cant even build a house. They can shut you down. Its absolutely, its just ridiculous, and im glad to hear that you. Ive climbed on seneca rocks. Youve got a lot of common sense there if youve done all that. One of the biggest things you have. Since 1977, theres been 10. 5 billion in fees from coal production, okay, 10. 5 billion. 8 billion of that has been distributed as grants to states and tribes, land and water reclamation projects and the plans. Theres still a large amount of high Priority Sites that remain in the inventory that must be reclaimed. I want to ask your opinion on aml and should that be used for the purpose it was designed to be used for, all coal related or used by states for other things that basically are not coal related . Thats all the money that comes from coal. This is the same argument with the Land Water Conservation Fund that we both support. Sure. I think when the Revenue Source is narrowed and used outside of that, i think theres a legitimate argument about that. From a montana congressman perspective, we have hundreds of mines that were mined during the turn of the 18th or 19th century that are reclamation lists of going through and cleaning up the sielts as long. So that fund has been used to cleaning up sites in nevada and new mexico, most of it. So there is absolutely a requirement to clean it up. Doesnt bear the full burden as in the Land Water Conservation Fund. Almost the entire burden of revenue and yet your funds dont go along the coast. Should hard rock mining contribute to that . They dont pay anything. This is where we need to have the discussion and this is where i have to, i should work with you because this is a change in the law. The law should be fair. It should be appropriate. But we all have o recreck, to recognize that reclamation of these sites is incredibly important and we have hundreds of sites in montana. I do not know what the inventory is nationwide but im sure in every state, theres probably something that we need to attend to. I want to thank you for your testimony in being so frank and direct with us, and the fairness to the system. Thats all ive ever said. Treat us all the same, fairness to it because some mining pays something but its all because of politics here. That could be changed. And ill be glad to work with you on it because i think it needs to be fair and laws need to be transparent and fair. Thank you so much, sir. Thank you, chairman. Senator said we could do one more real quick goaround. I have just two more questions and i hope it will be brief here but when we deal with some of the projects that have so much potential whether its potential to be able to utilize the natural gas that we have in alaskas north slope, we have to figure out a way that we move gas to tide water, move it to the market and that will require a process. Youve got to get a host of timely issued federal environmental permits. The longer the delay for the permits, the more expensive the project is. So id like your commitment to be working with us not only for projects like the alaska lng project but also recognizing that when it comes to our domestic mineral production, were sitting dead last in the amount of time it takes to get to yes or no answers to get these permits. For our domestic Minerals Production and i think we recognize, we talk a lot about the vulnerability that we have as a nation looking to other nations for oil and relying on oil. Were headed that same direction when it comes to minerals. Because we need the minerals that will make things like this or the vehicles or the wind turbans that were relying on for Renewable Energy but this permitting process were dealing with can oftentimes just end up being this dead zone where the cost pileon, the projects get delayed and folks give up. So id like your focus, your muscle behind ensuring that we have a fair process, that it is an expeditious process and one that really works efficiently. Because so much of the frustration, so much of the lack of trust youve been talking about, i think some stems from much of what people see. They term bureaucratic delay and unnecessary red tape. I agree and when the process becomes ash trrbitrary and taxp value. When you bid a piece of property to either mine or drill and the value is significantly reduced because of uncertainty, the taxpayer doesnt get its full value on it. On a permit process, it has to be fair. It cant be arbitrary. But there has to, im not going to say certainty but certainly, when youre bidding on a project, the value of that bid on the basis you can execute it and when theres no certainty of execution, then as a taxpayer, we dont get the right price for it. So our process is broke. It is somewhat arbitrary and i think we need to focus on it but it needs to be fair and it needs to be a process where nepa considerations need to be taken. We all want the same thing, hopefully. Clo clean air, clean water, and understand consequences. I look forward to working with you on that. Last question. The current secretary of the interior knew that she could not come in to this Committee Room without me asking a question about the status of her effort to assist close to some thousand people that live in the Little Community of kin cove and make sure that they too have access to what most americans would consider just an essential part of living and that is access to a life saving road that could get them out in the event of medical emergency. The fine people of king cove have been fighting this fight for over three decades and been let down repeatedly by their federal government. They do not trust their federal government because repeatedly, they have been told, there is higher value to the animals and the birds than there is to their human life. Thats pretty hard. So ill ask you recognizing the federal trust obligation that you have as you begin this new rule, recognizing that you have clear compassion for our native peoples. Im asking you to do everything that you possibly can to work with us, to reopen, review this decision that has led to a rejection of this lifesaving road. You have my absolute commitment th commitment that i will restore trust and work with you on this issue. I didnt know where king cove before i was nominated for the job. I know where it is now. Id like to take you out there when we open a road and youll know it firsthand. I cant wait to meet the great people, the thousand people of king cove. Theyre wufl. I dont know the ground, but i look forward to being there. Thank you. Senator cantwell. Thank you, madam chair. A couple of last issues and thanks to your family for sustaining whats probably going to be a four hour hearing because these are important land issues for our nation and we thank you for your willingness to serve. The bureau of reclamation is already funding critical work on the asma passage. Water conservation projects and want to get your commitment to continue the work of recommendations of the bureau on the akima project and like the same understanding you gave to my colleague that these water issues are not earmarks. They are moving forward on serious drought issues for our nation. Thank you. I think you have a wonderful staff because i have began to be familiar with the issue. I look forward to working with you on it. This is important. Montana is not that far away. On issues of water, the snake river begins in montana all the way across the columbia. I get it. And im looking forward to working with you on that and making sure its done. Thank you. Appreciate that. You mentioned the efforts of your enes, usgs specifically on the science side and one of the key interests of the pacific northwest, unfortunately, after an incredible very unfortunate disaster in oso where 43 people were killed. The notion of lightdar. The notion of being directed to landslide possibilities. Will you cant to push lidar funding . Ill have to review it because there are some emerging technologies, particularly in the uavs that actually may be better suited, but im committed to making sure we have the right data. The specific method on how we get there, i think theres a discussion as Technology Goes forward, theres some Promising Technology on survey. I like the fact that youre committed to ongoing technology to help us on these issues. I think technology is emerging thats going to give us a much clearer picture about both drought and its impacts and warming conditions on fire resource issues and can help us greatly, so im glad youre willing to use that. The spokane equitable settlement compensation is also something thats been in the department of interior. Its literally passed both the h house and senate and supported by previous secretaries. Will you look at this and ways to support the spokane tribe on their settlement for the construction of dams that caused plo flooding in the region where theres opportunities . I look forward to it. I used to shop in spokane, so im familiar with the area but not with this specific. But i look forward to looking at it. Thank you. Senator henrik, a final question . I know youre a passionate sportsman. Thats one of the things i like about you. I mentioned that i spent four days with my two sons over the holidays. One of the department of interiors blm wilderness study areas and im proud to say on that trip, my 13yearold took his first elk and i think both boys will never forget that trip. But i suspect if montana is like new mexico, youve also experienced losing legal access to public land, experienced what its like to drive up on a road thats always been there and find for the first time a locked gate. I have a bill called the hunt act to address this kind of issue and not ask you about my bill but i will ask you to commit to working with me on those kinds of access issues that have really moved to the forefront of concerns by sportsmen up and down the Rocky Mountain west. I will absolutely and in my opening remarks, i specifically mentioned access for a reason. Im concerned. Im concerned that not only our generation but our next generation will continuously seize closed roads, fences, and lack of access so traditional hunting and fishing almost are positioned as an elite sport. I think ive seen a Television Show filmed in your state where randy gnewburgh literally had to rent a helicopter to get dropped in because over the years, access to the private lands around it had been cut off. And i think its something we need to just understand the scale of so that we can come up with strategies, either through, you know, for example using lcbf for easements as opposed to outright land purchases or other strategies to make sure that we dont have public land that the public cant use. I agree with you. And i think americans should not be locked out of their National Treasures and were seeing that more and more that access is becoming more difficult and restrained and i share your concern with it. Thank you, chairman. Thank you, senator henrik. One final question. Congressman, your jurisdiction on an awful lot of timber land and national parks, wildlife refuge, our newly sworn in, newly inaugurated governor jim justice was giving a speech. West virginia is one of the most covered forest states in the nation and we have an awful lot of environmentalists upset with the co2. What they fail to recognize is we have an awful lot of timber in the going harvested and by not having select Timber Harvesting, you cut this tree down and you make this right here, the carbons inside here are stored. You let the tree fall and decay, co2 is all emitted. Every bit of it. And i know its a big thing. We cant cut here and go in here, but were omitting so much co2 into the air. Theyre very much concerned if we burn one month of coal, by god, shut it down but theyll let the timber drop down and go to waste without using it for productive and the environmental consequences. I dont know how were managing and do we have select Timber Harvesting and things of that sort in the Government Properties that youre over . Well, currently, i would say that management policy has been fire and im an advocate for the group that believes we should naturally manage by a natural regulation. Ill advocate for healthy resilient force. You think if we got the environmentalis environmentalists, concerned environmentalists together and they could see scientifically whats happening, they might be able to work with you or are you willing to try to go down that path . I think for most of americans, we want good policy. Theres extremes on both sides that simply wont negotiate. Theres an extreme on both right and left that are simply are driven and they are not gauc negotiable in their views. Anyone who serves the country serves a constituency. In the public, theres broad views but you look at what the best policy is. I think, you know, we ought the look at my wife and i and family spent some time in germany. They had different management policies. Canada has different management policies. We have great people that go through this Forestry Programs but theyre frustrated too. Ive talked to the forest rangers. They feel like they dont have the tools and they dont have the authority to manage the forest where theyre healthy and theyre too concerned about even removing dead and dying timber. When the Forest Service is 71 million acres behind and moving dead and dying timber, somethings gone wrong. In his speech yesterday, made it so Crystal Clear when he held a piece of wood and the podium, he was speaking, he said, a lot of co2 here but its right here. Everything you let nature take its course emits into the air. He said, someone will have to make a decision pretty soon. Thank you. Thank you. Cinsin zinke, thank you for being here, your willingness to serve and thank your about family because public service, you are the face, but we know that the families stand behind you, allow you to be that public servant, so to all of the family, thank you. Mrs. Zinke and to the family, to these granddaughters in the back, you get gold stars for absolute best behavior, yes. [ applause ] and we thank you for supporting your grandpa in such a good way. We appreciate that. I do thank members of the committee. We had great participation this afternoon and the questions were truly broad ranging, but i think you can tell, congressman, this is a committee that likes to get into the real meat of the issues, the policies. We try to do good work. We try to do work on a very cooperative, collaborative, bipartisan basis and should you be confirmed as i believe you will be, we look forward to continuing a dialogue that is really very open and one that is designed to be collaborative and bipartisan and so we would welcome that. Id like to remind my colleagues, we have agreed that members may submit additional questions for the we kind of held it open for another couple of hours so lets just say by 8 30 this evening, all qfrs would be in. I would also ask unanimous consent to submit several letters of support for representative zinke for the record of this hearing that we have received. We would ask that members submit any of their own to our chief clerk, to darla ripchenski. With that, we thank you and the committee stands adjourned