Subsidized Logging Roads Targeted

One of Congress’ top Republican budget negotiators threw his support behind a plan Tuesday to stop subsidizing timber companies’ construction of logging roads on national forests.

Rep. John Kasich, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Budget Committee, joined an unusual coalition of liberals and conservatives in backing the proposal, which they said could save taxpayers more than $100 million over five years.

But Rep. Bob Smith, R-Ore., chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and timber industry leaders quickly began rallying support against the idea. They say there is no subsidy.

While environmentalists have advocated an end to subsidizing logging roads for years based on concerns about ecological damage, the attack on “corporate welfare” Tuesday centered on fiscal arguments.

“We’ve reformed welfare for those who don’t have money or powerful Washington lobbyists,” Kasich said. “Now it is time we did the same thing for those corporate welfare programs that aid the rich and powerful at the expense of taxpaying families.”

Consumer advocate Ralph Nader lent his support to the effort, as did leaders of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and Friends of the Earth, who took specific aim at the Forest Service program that helps timber companies pay for the roads.

“There’s just no reason we should be helping timber corporations spin sawdust into gold,” said Courtney Cuff of Friends of the Earth.

More significant in terms of political support was backing from a series of conservative organizations, including the National Taxpayers Union, Competitive Enterprise Institute and Citizens Against Government Waste.

The logging-road proposal was among a dozen spending items the coalition members said they want to eliminate.