XXXX Voted Against Studying Alternatives in Environmental Assessments. In 2003, XXXX voted for an amendment that would require the Comptroller General to study the costs and benefits of the analysis of alternatives in environmental assessments and environmental impact statements. [HR 1904, Vote 426, 10/30/03] XXXX Voted to Weaken Judicial Review in Cases of Forest Thinning. In 2003, XXXX voted against an amendment that removed sections in the bill that weakened the administrative and judicial reviews process over land targeted by fuel reduction projects. [Vote 423, 10/30/03] XXXX Voted to Weaken Citizens’ Rights to Challenge Logging Sales in Tongass National Forest. In 2003, XXXX voted to “dramatically shorten the time frame for court challenges to logging sales on the 17 million-acre Tongass [National Forest].” The amendment stuck a section in the bill that provided for an expedited judicial review process for cases involving timber harvesting in the Tongass National Forest. The original measure required anyone who wanted to stop a timber sale in the country’s largest national forest to file court papers within 30 days after the U.S. Forest Service finishes its administrative appeal process. Also, federal judges would have been required to render decisions on such challenges within 180 days. Environmentalists opposed the amendment. [Vote 359, 9/23/03; AP, 9/24/03] XXXX Voted to Thin Forests in Danger of Wildfires. In 2003, XXXX voted for an amendment that would strike authorize $760 million for thinning dense forests. It would allow treatment of up to 20 million acres of federal land at high risk of catastrophic wildfire. It would limit preliminary court injunctions against logging projects to 60 days, subject to the renewal once the court has reviewed them. It would require the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to fully maintain or contribute to the restoration of old-growth trees and maximize the retention of large trees. [HR 1904, Vote 416, 10/29/03] XXXX Voted to Allow Reconstruction of Road Through Federal Wildlife Area. In 1998, XXXX voted for S.1092, which was a bill to require the Interior Department to transfer a perpetual 100-foot-wide, 30-mile right-of- way through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to the Aleutians East Borough for the purpose of constructing a gravel, one-lane public road from the remote Alaska town of King Cove to Cold Bay, which has an all-weather airport. [Vote 294, 10/1/98] XXXX Voted Against Allowing States to Claim Rights-Of-Way on Federal Lands. In 1997, XXXX cast a crucial vote to kill the Bumpers amendment to S.672, which was an amendment to strike the section of S.672 to allow states to claim rights-of-way on federal lands. This was an amendment to allow states to convert traditional footpaths and trails into paved roads, thereby making the federal government powerless to stop the conversion of footpaths, four-wheel-drive tracks, and other primitive roads on federal lands into paved highways. [Vote 59, 5/7/97] WILDFIRES XXXX Voted for Funding National Parks, Clean Water, Fire Fighting. In October 2009, XXXX voted for the conference report for the Interior-Environment Appropriations bill that would provide $32.3 billion in discretionary funds, $4.7 billion more than fiscal 2009 levels when stimulus funds are excluded. The measure would provide $10.3 billion to the EPA, a level that reflects a 35 percent increase over regular fiscal 2009 funding and includes a 67 percent increase for programs addressing global climate change. Even Senate GOP Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander supported the bill, saying “My preference, if I were the king, I wouldn’t spend this much money on this bill this year. This is a tough time. But I doubt Americans will begrudge spending on national parks, on clean water and on firefighting.” Democrats maintained the increase was justified by cuts for the bill’s programs by the George W. Bush administration and congressional Republicans. The bill also contained continuing resolution that would fund the federal government through Dec. 18. The bill passed 72-28. [CQ Today, 10/29/09; Vote 331, 10/29/09] XXXX Voted Against Funding for Fire Reduction. In 2003, XXXX voted against increasing the percentage of funds used to reduce fire danger close to at-risk communities from 50 percent to 70 percent. [Vote 424, 10/30/03] 122