WASHINGTON D.C. (WTAQ) – Three Republicans say the federal government should let the state manage Wisconsin’s only national forest.
State Senator Tom Tiffany of Hazelhurst and Representatives Jeff Mursau of Crivitz and Rob Swearingen of Rhinelander are upset about a proposed 11 percent cut in the U.S. Forest Service recreational budget for next year.
The three lawmakers believe that the state can manage timber harvest operations more efficiently than Washington can. They claim the savings would more than pay for the recreation offered by the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
They said it would also reduce the risk of fires in the1.5 million-acre forest — all with no additional tax dollars needed.
Tiffany, Mursau, and Swearingen all represent different parts of the massive national forest. They said the recreation that’s offered is important to Wisconsin’s tourism industry.
(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)
