Volume 146, No. 132 covering the 2nd Session of the 106th Congress (1999 - 2000) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“TRIBUTE TO ERIC KINGSLEY” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Senate section on pages S10798 on Oct. 19, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO ERIC KINGSLEY
Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Eric Kingsley as he leaves his position as Executive Director of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association, NHTOA.
Eric's five year tenure at NHTOA has been marked by progress and success. The organization's programs and services have grown to meet the needs and concerns of its members, and have established a strong, stable foundation for the association's future.
Through the years, I have grown to value Eric's input on the many issues that significantly impact New Hampshire's timberlands. Eric has done an outstanding job of keeping me, and other policy makers, informed on the issues and has been a true leader in making sure the voice of NHTOA was heard throughout the country.
Of all of Eric's achievements at NHTOA, perhaps his most important success came this past spring. Eric helped lead the charge to defeat the Environmental Protection Agency's ill-considered proposal to treat some forestry activities as ``point source pollution'' under the Clean Water Act. These rules, known as Total Maximum Daily Loads--TMDL--would have required landowners, foresters, and homeowners to obtain federal permits before conducting a timber harvest and could have exposed them to lengthy bureaucratic delays and costly citizen lawsuits.
This past May, I held a field hearing in Whitefield, New Hampshire, on the TMDL issue, and not only did Eric successfully testify, but he organized hundreds of foresters to ensure their message was heard loud and clear in Washington. Thanks in large part to Eric's leadership on this issue, the EPA withdrew the section of the TMDL rules that adversely affected forestry.
My staff and I have also worked closely with Eric on issues of importance to the White Mountain National Forest. When the President issued his ``roadless'' initiative stripping the people of New Hampshire and New England with the opportunity to have a voice in the management of their public lands, Eric was there to ensure we took this measure to task. This time we were not successful, but we were very close to creating an exemption for the White Mountain National Forest from this heavy-handed proposal.
Eric also rose to the occasion in the face of destruction from Mother Nature's wrath. The Ice Storm in January 1998 brought unprecedented challenges to New Hampshire's forest lands. Hundreds of thousands of acres were significantly damaged. Eric worked closely with me and my colleagues to help us turn this tragedy into an opportunity. Today, not only has the federal government provided resources to help recover from the storm, but we have a record number of acres under forest stewardship plans.
My staff and I have worked with Eric on a wide variety of other issues during his time at NHTOA, and have always been impressed with his dedication and the depth of knowledge he displayed on issues ranging from estate tax reform to rural economic development. He has always been an effective and honest advocate for the causes he holds close to his heart, and I know he will be greatly missed by me and NHTOA's 1,500 members.
I wish Eric well in all his future endeavors, and am confident he will succeed in whatever pursuits he chooses. It is an honor to represent him in the U.S. Senate.
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