WASHINGTON – Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) announced that the U.S. Forest Service will be steering $850,000 towards Hiawatha, Ottawa and Huron Manistee National Forests to help these forests cope with reductions in forest service funding for Fiscal Year 2007.   The announcement signals a partial reversal of the Forest Service’s decision to cut forest service funding for Fiscal Year 2007.

“This funding will help the Hiawatha, Ottawa and Huron forests to process timber sales so it may continue to serve as a source for Michigan’s timber industry,” Stupak said.  “Michigan has the fifth largest timber industry in the nation, so forestry and timber are vital to the Michigan economy.”

Earlier this year, Stupak had contacted the forest service in writing and with phone calls to oppose reductions in Forest Service funding for Michigan’s national forests.  In March, Stupak wrote the Forest Service to voice opposition to plans to divert funding from the Eastern Forest Service Region to the Pacific Northwest Region.    In April, Stupak wrote a follow up letter to Mark Rey, the Undersecretary for Forestry at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

“I am pleased to see this funding returned to Michigan’s National Forests,” Stupak noted.  “While the Administration’s cuts to Michigan’s forests are harmful, the funding that is being restored will at least lessen the impact of this temporary diversion of funding.”

The Forest Service was able to divert the funding because Congress did not pass an Interior Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2007. Stupak said the Forest Service’s reduction in funding should be a one-time occurrence and that funding should be restored once Congress passes an appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2008.  In the meantime, several forests, including the Ottawa, Hiawatha and Huron-Manistee, had been forced to reduce the amount of timber that would be available this year. 

“While this new funding will not completely replace the Administration’s 2007 funding cuts, it will help Michigan’s forests through the next several months until work is completed on the Fiscal Year 2008 appropriations bill,” Stupak said.

“Michigan's forests support 200,000 jobs and generate $12 billion each year,” Stupak concluded.  “As Congress moves forward this year with the Interior Appropriations bill, I will work to ensure that funding for Fiscal Year 2008 returns to funding levels so that Michigan’s national forests can reach their Allowable Sales Quantities.”

Under the new funding announced for Fiscal Year 2007, $350,000 will go to Hiawatha National Forest, $200,000 will go to Ottawa National Forest and $300,000 will go to Huron Manistee National Forest, Stupak said.

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