Twin Falls – Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will join with Jim McConeghy, Chief Financial Officer for Chobani, and Halil Ulukaya, Chief Operations Officer for Chobani, for a discussion on the future of the Greek Yogurt industry in Idaho and across the country.—and milestone progress to bring access to Greek Yogurt to more consumers.

Chobani currently employs more than 600 people at its one million-square-foot Twin Falls plant, the largest yogurt production facility in the world. Honored with Food Engineering’s ‘Plant of the Year’ award this May, the state-of-the-art facility was built in just 326 days following a $450 million investment.

Chobani employs more than 600 people in Idaho.  It is the nation’s top-selling Greek Yogurt brand and is committed to supporting local farmers and strengthening its surrounding area economies.

News Conference on Greek Yogurt expansion in Idaho:

WHO:                   Idaho Senator Mike Crapo

Chobani CFO Jim McConeghy

Chobani COO Halil Ulukaya

Twin Falls Vice Mayor Don Hall

Idaho Dairy Association President Bob Naerebout

Idaho Farm Bureau President Frank Priestley

WHEN:                Tuesday, May 28, 2013

2:15 PM

WHERE:               Chobani Production Facility

3459 Kimberly Road

Twin Falls

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on the nomination of Republican Chief Economist Mike Piwowar to serve as a Republican commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC):

“Mike’s in-depth expertise of capital markets and background as a chief economist make him exceptionally well-qualified for this position as the SEC moves forward on critical issues.  As the Republican chief economist and securities expert for the Banking Committee, and previously an economist at the Council of Economic Advisers for two Presidents, he has thoroughly demonstrated his understanding of these complex issues.  I am confident that as an SEC commissioner, he will work to fulfill the agency's critical mission of protecting investors, maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets and facilitating capital formation.”

Pocatello – Many Idahoans may be suffering from undiagnosed traumatic brain injuries resulting from battlefield conflicts, high school sports injuries, automobile accidents and even incidents where seniors have fallen down.  Given the growing magnitude of these injuries, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo is joining with the Idaho Doctors Hospital, the Aegis Research Institute at Bingham Memorial Hospital, the Institute of Rural Health at Idaho State University and many Idaho physicians to launch the Idaho Traumatic Brain Injury Summit.  The Summit will be held Tuesday, May 28, 2013, on the campus of Idaho State University.

According to physicians at the Idaho Doctors Hospital in Blackfoot, statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that traumatic brain injury (TBI) is at near-epidemic proportions in the United States.  Despite the prevalence of TBI, there remains a critical need for improved diagnosis and treatment in order to increase survival rates and improve quality of life for TBI patients.  The CDC reports that TBI is a contributing factor in nearly one-third of all injury-related deaths in the U.S. 

This is Idaho’s first major forum on TBI injuries and treatment.  In November 2012, the Aegis Research Institute at Bingham Memorial Hospital announced it has been selected to participate in the National Brain Injury Rescue and Rehabilitation Study.  The study, conducted by the International Hyperbaric Medical Association, is focused on the use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in treating TBI.  Other interested Idahoans will also be in attendance, representing the diversity of those impacted by TBI.  Twin Falls Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Wiley Dobbs, is expected to attend, as is Ms. Pamela Dowd.  Ms. Dowd’s daughter, Brenna, lost her life following her TBI, prompting Ms. Dowd to travel through 21 states to raise awareness about the severity of such injuries.

News Conference to open Idaho Traumatic Brain Injury Summit:

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

9:30 AM Mountain Time

Rotunda, Stephens Performing Arts Center

Idaho State University

1002 Sam Nixon

Pocatello

Among the other local experts speaking at the Traumatic Brain Injury Summit:

• Mary Himmler, MD, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist at Fort Hood, will present information on TBI among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and the typical recovery and treatment process.  Previously, she treated soldiers with TBI at Walter Reed Medical Center.
• Lt. Col. Mary Kelly, Transition Assistance Advisor at the Joint Forces Personnel Readiness Center in Boise, will discuss the transition from military to civilian life for TBI survivors.
• Judge Rick Carnaroli, Idaho’s Presiding Justice over the Veterans' Treatment Court from the 6^thDistrict, will discuss TBI issues relating to Idaho’s criminal justice system.
• Russ Spearman, Director of the ISU Institute of Rural Health's Traumatic Brain Injury Network, will address Idaho-based needs and potential solutions available through public health and health policy systems.
• Dr. Wiley Dobbs, Superintendent of Twin Falls School District, will present information on TBI as it relates to middle and high school sports injuries.
• Dr. Bernadette Howlett, Director of the Aegis Research Institute, will present an overview of TBI and its epidemiology.
• Jim Jones, a Vietnam veteran and study volunteer, will discuss treatment and recovery options related to TBI and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
• Barb Fox, who received a TBI in a car accident, will discuss her treatment and recovery from both TBI and PTSD as a civilian.
• Pamela Dowd will focus on family involvement and health insurance issues related to TBI, from her personal experience through the death of her daughter, Brenna, from complications of a TBI  She is the author of "Condemned to Die -- Ask Me How, Tell Me Why", and the founder of both the Brenna’s Hope Foundation and the website, LuvURBrain.org.
• Jeff Hampsten, owner of Idaho Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine, will speak about research on the efficacy of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as a treatment for TBI.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on the appointment of Republican Chief Economist Mike Piwowar to serve as a Republican commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC):

“Mike’s in-depth expertise of capital markets and background as a chief economist make him exceptionally well-qualified for this position as the SEC moves forward on critical issues.  As the Republican chief economist and securities expert for the Banking Committee, and previously an economist at the Council of Economic Advisers for two Presidents, he has thoroughly demonstrated his understanding of these complex issues.  I am confident that as an SEC commissioner, he will work to fulfill the agency's critical mission of protecting investors, maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets and facilitating capital formation.”

Washington, D.C. – Idaho Senator Mike Crapo made the following statement regarding his vote against an amendment to the Farm Bill offered by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) that would negatively impact Idaho’s sugar industry. The amendment sought to dismantle the sugar program by partially repealing provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill that protect U.S. beet and sugar cane producers by combating the trade-distorting subsidies that other nations implement for otherwise uncompetitive sugar industries.

“The sugar industry is vital to Idaho’s economy, bringing in $1.1 billion in revenue each year,” Crapo said.  “The sugar program ensures sugar beet growers have access to the tools they need to produce an affordable, abundant food supply.  U.S. farmers and producers have proven themselves time and again to be the most efficient in the world, but they cannot be left alone to face a trade market undermined by foreign government manipulation, especially at a time when domestic prices have dropped nearly 50 percent since 2010.”

The amendment failed with a 45-54 vote.  The Senate will continue to debate and vote on amendments to the Farm Bill this week.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, along with Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-New Jersey) and David Vitter (R-Louisana) announced a groundbreaking, bipartisan agreement to modernize the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and ensure the safety of everyday consumer products to better protect American families.  Their legislation would significantly update and improve TSCA, which has proven ineffective and is criticized by both the public health community and industry. The Lautenberg-Vitter legislation would, for the first time, ensure that all chemicals are screened for safety to protect public health and the environment, while also creating an environment where manufacturers can continue to innovate, grow, and create jobs.  

The Lautenberg-Vitter “Chemical Safety Improvement Act of 2013” is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), Richard Durbin (D-Illinois), Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee), Charles Schumer (D-New York), James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Tom Udall (D-New Mexico), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mary Landrieu (D-Louisana), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey) and John Hoeven (R-North Dakota).

“After almost twenty-five years, Republicans and Democrats have come together on an important and significant environmental reform measure,” said Senator Crapo, Ranking Member of the EPW Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health. “The Chemical Safety Improvement Act works to improve the safety of American consumers and ensure that risks from chemical substances are adequately understood and managed, while recognizing the enormous benefit the chemical industry brings to the economy.”

“This bipartisan agreement is an historic step toward meaningful reform that protects American families and consumers.  Every parent wants to know that the chemicals used in everyday products have been proven safe, but our current chemical laws fail to give parents that peace of mind,” said Senator Lautenberg, who first introduced legislation to reform TSCA in 2005.  “Our bipartisan bill would fix the flaws with current law and ensure that chemicals are screened for safety.”

“Our bill strikes the right balance between strengthening consumer confidence in the safety of chemicals, while also promoting innovation and the growth of an important sector of our economy,” said Senator Vitter, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee. “Chemical manufacturing is a big part of Louisiana’s economy and across the country, and the Chemical Safety Improvement Act establishes a program that should provide confidence to the public and consumers, by giving the EPA the tools it needs to make critical determinations while providing a more transparent process.  The benefit of such a system is that industry should also have more confidence that the federal system works to facilitate innovation and grow our economy.”

“For far too long, American families have been exposed to chemicals that have never been tested for safety,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This bill will finally allow the EPA to test those chemicals that pose the greatest hazard to our children and pregnant women, and it will give the companies that manufacture the chemicals certainty that what they are selling is certified safe across all 50 States.”

“I am proud to be part of this bipartisan group that came together to solve a critical problem, and I hope it serves as a model for future agreements,” said Senator Manchin. “This bill proves that bipartisan compromise can still work in Washington when people are committed to coming together to find commonsense solutions. Our agreement shows that protecting our health and environment does not have to impede our economic growth.” 

Senator Alexander said, “This legislation would allow consumers to rest easier, knowing there are protections in place that ensure the chemical products we use are safe. And it would give companies like Eastman Chemical Co., which employs more than 6,000 Tennesseans, the long-overdue clarity in the law they need to better innovate and create jobs in our 21st-century economy.”

The legislation also has the support of public health advocates and chemical industry representatives. 

“This bill is both a policy and political breakthrough.  It gives EPA vital new tools to identify chemicals of both high and low concern, and to reduce exposure to those that pose risks.  And while this bill represents a hard-fought compromise, it opens, at last, a bipartisan path forward to fix our badly outmoded system to ensure the safety of chemicals in everyday use,” said Richard Denison, Senior Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund.  

“From life-saving medicines, to energy efficient build materials, chemistry is responsible for countless innovations that have transformed society. America’s chemical industry is a critical source of economic growth and good-paying jobs across the country.  Achieving sound, balanced TSCA reform that enhances public confidence in the safety of chemicals and enables America to remain the world’s leading innovator is our top priority,” said Cal Dooley, President and CEO of the American Chemistry Council.  “This bipartisan compromise legislation will put safety first, while also promoting innovation, economic growth and job creation – goals that are critical to our industry, to our nearly 800,000 employees and to the many other industries that rely on the products of chemistry.”

In contrast to existing law, the Lautenberg-Vitter “Chemical Safety Improvement Act of 2013” would:

• Require Safety Evaluations for All Chemicals: All active chemicals in commerce must be evaluated for safety and labeled as either “high” or “low” priority chemical based on potential risk to human health and the environment.  For high priority chemicals, EPA must conduct further safety evaluations. 
• Protect Public Health from Unsafe Chemicals: If a chemical is found to be unsafe, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the necessary authority to take action.  This can range from labeling requirements to the full phase-out or ban of a chemical.  
•  Prioritize Chemicals for Review: The Environmental Protection Agency will have to transparently assess risk, determine safety, and apply any needed measures to manage risks.
• Screen New Chemicals for Safety: New chemicals entering the market must be screened for safety and the EPA is given the authority to prohibit unsafe chemicals from entering the market. 
• Secure Necessary Health and Safety Information: The legislation allows EPA to secure necessary health and safety information from chemical manufacturers, while directing EPA to rely first on existing information to avoid duplicative testing. 
• Promote Innovation and Safer Chemistry: This legislation provides clear paths to getting new chemistry on the market and protects trade secrets and intellectual property from disclosure. 
• Protect Children and Pregnant Women: The legislation requires EPA to evaluate the risks posed to particularly vulnerable populations, such as children and pregnant women, when evaluating the safety of a chemical—a provision not included in existing law.
• Give States and Municipalities a Say:  States and local governments will have the opportunity to provide input on prioritization, safety assessment and the safety determination processes, requiring timely response from EPA, and the bill establishes a waiver process to allow state regulations or laws to remain in effect when circumstances warrant it.       

         Under current law, the EPA can call for safety testing only after evidence surfaces demonstrating a chemical may be dangerous.  As a result, EPA has only been able to require testing for roughly 200 of the more than 84,000 chemicals currently registered in the United States, and has been able to ban only five dangerous substances since TSCA was first enacted in 1976.  These shortfalls led the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to identify TSCA as a “high risk” area of the law in 2009.  

Comprehensive reform of chemical regulations is important to consumers and job creating businesses that need the ability to compete in the global marketplace. Chemicals are used to produce 96 percent of all manufactured goods consumers rely on every day and over 25 percent of the U.S. GDP is derived from industries that rely on chemicals.

Washington, D.C. – In an effort to prevent potentially devastating regulatory burdens from being placed on U.S. farmers, Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Congressman Dr. Dan Benishek (R-Michigan) today introduced the SCRAP Act, or Stopping Costly Regulations Against Produce, in the U.S. House and Senate.  This legislation would defund the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed fresh produce rule that will negatively impact farmers throughout the country. 

“The FDA is joining a long list of federal agencies pushing costly regulations on Idaho farmers,” said Crapo.  “Presently, the majority of produce grown in the United States is designated as low risk.  However, FDA’s assertion that even minimum risk commodities should be subject to the same rules based on evidence that has not materialized is particularly concerning.  FDA should focus its efforts on proven risks, not impose costly regulatory burdens on producers based on hypothetical evidence.  Such action will have a major impact on Idaho’s agriculture community by driving up costs on small and mid-sized farmers, leading to significant drops in food production and higher prices.”

“It is unfortunate that the FDA is working to find a solution to a problem that they themselves have created.  This proposed rule will create needless additional burden and costs at a time when we should do more to assist the agricultural industry in keeping our food supply safe and affordable for all Americans," said Risch.

“These new regulations are just another example of Washington bureaucrats hurting families and farmers here in Northern Michigan.   Once again, these guys in the federal government are thinking up new rules that make life harder and hurt the economy.  I’m all for having a safe and protected food supply in this country, but we need to do it in a reasonable way that doesn’t hurt our farmers and jack up the price of our food,” said Dr. Benishek, a general surgeon from Iron River and Michigan’s only member of the House Committee on Agriculture.  “Our farmers work hard every day to deliver quality products to our table.  The last thing they need is federal bureaucrats making their jobs more expensive and more complicated.  We need to get the FDA to use some more common sense and listen to our farmers, instead of just passing tons of new costly regulations.”

On January 4, 2013, the FDA announced a proposed rule for growing, harvesting, packing and holding fresh produce on domestic and foreign farms.  The proposed rule was issued pursuant to the Food Safety Modernization Act, which Congress passed in December 2010.  It would require weekly testing of all agricultural water at a cost of $35 to $40 per week.  If levels of coliform bacteria exceed the FDA’s standard, the farmer must cease irrigation until the water is in compliance, running a high risk of ruining a crop.  The FDA estimates that the cost of implementation will cost a producer roughly $5,000 to $30,600 per farm, depending on size, and with a total industry price tag of $460 million.

Crapo and Risch will introduce the SCRAP Act as an amendment to the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013, known as the Farm Bill, which is currently being considered on the Senate floor.  Dr. Benishek will introduce the SCRAP Act as a standalone bill in the House of Representatives. 

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, today delivered the following remarks during a Banking Committee hearing in which Treasury Secretary Jack Lew testified regarding the Financial Stability Oversight Council’s Annual Report to Congress:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Today, Secretary Lew comes before the Committee to testify in his first hearing as Treasury Secretary.

The Secretary wears many hats.  He is responsible for formulating and recommending a number of domestic and international financial, economic and tax policies for the Administration.

As Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) Chairman, he is required to appear before this Committee annually to testify on the activities of the Council and to answer questions concerning the Council’s most recent annual report.

The Council’s 2013 Annual Report covers many areas of the Council’s activities and lists a number of potential emerging threats to the financial stability of the United States.

I want to focus my opening statement on one particular area that needs personal attention from Secretary Lew.

The U.S. capital markets must remain the preferred destination for investors throughout the world.

Capital is the lifeblood of U.S. businesses, which in turn are the engines of job creation and economic growth.

Unfortunately, infighting among U.S. financial regulators and their overseas counterparts is causing investors to look elsewhere for productive investment opportunities.

The list of problematic cross-border issues that need to be addressed is growing, and the frustration from foreign regulators over the lack of international coordination on financial reform measures has reached an unprecedented level.

After the so-called Volcker Rule was proposed in 2011, a number of foreign regulators submitted a letter to the Treasury Department expressing concerns that the proposed rule could reduce the liquidity of their sovereign bonds and damage international cooperation efforts.

More recently, a number of foreign regulators have weighed in on the Federal Reserve’s rule proposal to implement enhanced prudential standards for foreign banking organizations.

For example, the European commissioner in charge of financial regulation, Michel Barnier, warned in a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that the Fed’s proposed rules affecting European banks doing business in the United States will duplicate work already done in Europe and create additional costs.

Commissioner Barnier also warned that the Fed’s proposal could risk a protectionist backlash and threaten the global economic recovery.

The frustration reached a new level when nine finance ministers wrote to Secretary Lew expressing their concerns about the lack of progress in developing workable cross-border rules as part of reforms of the over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets.

They warned that without clear direction from regulators working together, derivatives markets will recede into localized and less efficient structures.

Derivatives end-users will find it more difficult to manage risk and suffer from burdensome regulatory conditions.

I look forward to hearing from Secretary Lew about the specific steps he will take to avoid cross-border conflicts and the unnecessary costs imposed by them.

Finally, although this hearing is focused on Secretary Lew’s role as the Chairman of the FSOC, I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to question him about the recent IRS scandal.

The largest bureau within the Treasury Department is the Internal Revenue Service. 

Last week, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued a report that documents a number of troubling and disturbing actions regarding the targeting of conservative groups by the IRS.

These actions should never be tolerated.

President Obama has directed Secretary Lew to make sure that all of the Inspector General’s recommendations are implemented quickly.

I look forward to hearing how Secretary Lew will carry out the President’s directive.  I also look forward to hearing what additional steps Secretary Lew is taking to ensure that no future income tax audits will be conducted in a discriminatory manner ever again.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Washington, D.C. – Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch voted in favor of Energy Secretary Nominee, Dr. Ernest Moniz.  Dr. Moniz was confirmed by the full Senate this afternoon with a unanimous vote of 97-0.

“Idaho plays an important role in the United States’ energy policy, and Dr. Moniz demonstrated to me that he is qualified to serve in this key role,” Crapo said.  “As someone who grew up in eastern Idaho, I have witnessed firsthand the significant role the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) plays in nuclear energy research and I will continue to advocate policies that maintain its position as the lead nuclear laboratory for research and development.  For sixty years, the INL has built, operated and tested 51 nuclear reactors leading to key defense and homeland security initiatives, and has also provided thousands of jobs and increased economic development to the region.  The Department of Energy should fully engage the INL to provide confirmatory research on materials science, reactor fuel, instrumentation and controls, safety margins and efficiency instruments.  Dr. Moniz indicated that he fully understands the importance of the INL and will make it a strong priority in his new role.”   

“I look forward to working with Dr. Moniz to ensure the INL and cleanup projects are given the priority within the Department of Energy that they deserve,” said Risch.

Dr. Ernest Moniz has served on the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since 1973, with a research focus on energy technology and policy.  He also served in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) during the Clinton administration.  Dr. Moniz was reported out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with a 21-1 vote.  Risch, who serves on the committee, voted in favor of advancing Dr. Moniz’s nomination to the full Senate.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— A bipartisan group of senators and U.S. House members today introduced bills to provide certainty to forestry companies and workers, by reaffirming the Environmental Protection Agency’s 37-year-old policy toward regulation of runoff from forest roads.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Oregon., Senator Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Washington, and Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon, introduced the Silviculture Regulatory Consistency Act today.

The bill would aid efforts to increase timber harvests and forestry jobs by preventing unnecessary litigation on a question that the U.S. Supreme Court settled in the EPA’s favor earlier this year. The bill, like the Supreme Court decision, upholds the EPA’s existing policy, which does not require water discharge permits for forest roads.

Despite the EPA and Supreme Court decisions, however, some groups have promised to continue litigation, which will needlessly delay needed forest restoration work without action by Congress.

Senators Max Baucus, D-Montana, and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and Representatives Dan Benishek, R-Michigan, Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, Jeff Duncan, R-South Carolina, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, Nick Rahall, D-West Virginia, Reid Ribble, R-Wisconsin, and Mike Simpson, R-Idaho are original cosponsors of the measure.

CRAPO: “The jobs and economic activities relating to the forest products industry are critical to Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. The decision to change a 37-year-old program that deferred the regulation of logging road runoff to individual states has brought increased hardships causing job losses and jeopardizing our rural communities.  This bipartisan legislation will clarify that the Clean Water Act was not intended to regulate stormwater runoff on forest roads and allow the focus of private, state and federal land managers to return to improving forest management.”

RISCH: "In matters involving natural resources there must be a balance between conservation and use. This legislation correctly restores that balance and maintains state management authority that has been successfully used for decades.”

SIMPSON: “I am pleased to once again be part of a broad, bipartisan coalition working to provide needed certainty to an industry that is so important to Idaho and the Northwest.  By clearly reinstating EPA’s long-standing policy on forest roads in law, this legislation is a simple but important fix to a misguided and problematic court decision.”

WYDEN: “We need a healthy timber industry to provide timber jobs and to do the restoration work that ensures healthy forests. The way to do that is to stop litigating questions that have already been answered, and start working together to improve forest management practices. This bill will reaffirm the determination by both EPA and the Supreme Court that forest roads and other silviculture activities are not open to more litigation over water discharge permits under the Clean Water Act.”

HERRERA BEUTLER: “At the heart of our efforts are the moms and dads employed by healthy, working forests – and passing this law will help make sure they have jobs, and will help make our forests healthy. I’m proud to keep working with my colleagues in both parties to solidify a law based on sound science that takes people and their livelihoods into account.” 

SCHRADER: “The ability to independently manage our forests in a sustainable and responsible way is crucial to the vitality of Oregon’s rural economies and helps to keep our forests healthy and thriving. The timber industry and EPA have worked together for over three decades to reduce forest roads runoff with much success. The Silviculture Regulatory Consistency Act restores the certainty our state and local governments and private forest landowners need to continue managing forestlands using best management practices that have been successful in the past.”