Night Owl 9/Night Owl CD-ROM (NOPV9) (Night Owl Publisher) (1993).ISO/044a/wh930403.zip/4-3C.TXT

Internet Message Format | 1993-04-05 | 5KB

From @lex-luthor.ai.mit.edu:[e-mail] Sat Apr  3 18:03:51 1993
Date: Sat, 3 Apr 1993 18:29-0500
From: The White House <[e-mail]>
Subject: VP Gore's Opening REmarks at Forest Conference  4.2.93
To: [e-mail]
Status: OR

Text of opening Remarks by Vice President at the Forest
Conference  To: National Desk, Environment Writer
Contact: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary,
          202-456-2100

   PORTLAND, Ore., April 2 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is
the text of the opening remarks by Vice President Al Gore at the
Forest Conference.

 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Ore.
 10:54 A.M. PST

   THE VICE PRESIDENT: Mr. President, it is an honor to join you,
to join so many members of the Cabinet and so many people here
today who care deeply about the issues we're going to discuss.

   And let me add my voice to theirs in applauding your decision
to convene this Forest Conference and your commitment to a
balanced and fair resolution of these difficult issues.  For far
too long, bitter fighting and confused policymaking have scarred
this debate.   As each side fought for advantage, no one won and
many lost --their jobs, their way of life, the wilderness they
grew up to love, and even their plans for the families and their
future.

   It is time we moved beyond argument and confusion to a new
approach that replaces fear with hope and stalemate with
progress. Let me say what many here understand so well: The
status quo cannot continue.  We must break the gridlock and move
forward.  That is what the people outside this convention center
are telling us, and that is what I think we'll hear from the
people inside this convention center.

   We are here today because we are committed to moving forward.
We are here today to listen and learn from the people who live
with these issues every single day of their lives.

   I have tried to learn a lot about the environment.  I know
some people here probably think I've spent too much time trying
to learn about the environment.  Today I expect to learn a whole
lot more about the people and the communities nurtured,
sustained, and inspired by the wilderness in their very
backyards, because at its very heart, this debate is about
people.  It is about all of you here today and the many others
watching and listening to this Forest Conference.  It is about
people who care deeply about their communities and about a way of
life passed from one generation to the next, rich in traditions
strengthened over time.  It is about people who care about the
forests, wildlife, water, and fish.  It is about proud,
hardworking people worried about losing their jobs and their
dreams, worried about a future now uncertain for their children.
It is about people tired of confusion and controversy, who are
ready to work together for solutions.


   It is because we care about you, the people in these
communities -- about your jobs, your future, and your families --
that we are here today to listen and learn from your experience.
We are tremendously gratified by the response we have received to
this conference.  We are gratified by the willingness of all
sides to come to the table and talk when, for years, many have
spent more time shouting.  We're encouraged by the eagerness of
all involved to seek common ground and comprehensive long-term
answers.

   The days when this debate was defined by either/or choices are
over.  This isn't about saving jobs or saving the environment.
It's about saving jobs and saving the environment -- because we
can't do one without the other, certainly not in the long term.
A healthy forest economy demands healthy forests.

   That's not to say the challenge we face in crafting a solution
will be easy.  We recognize that it's not.  You know that, and so
do we.  These issues have defied answers and denied progress, but
we are determined to move forward.  And today marks an important
step toward the balanced, long-term policy we all seek.  We are
here because together we have reached an important conclusion
already: We must work together to find ways that recognize the
importance of the forests and timber to the economy, jobs and
communities in the region, as well as recognizing the importance
of our old-growth forests, a part of our national heritage that
if, once destroyed, will be gone forever for every generation
that follows.

   For the people in this region and across America, both are
important.  If we destroy the old growth forests, we lose jobs
and threaten entire communities -- jobs in tourism and fishing,
recreational activities like hunting and hiking and fishing,
water supplies we count on to be clean and safe.  And we lose
what we have yet to discover -- vital new substances like the
potential cure for some kinds of cancer -- Taxol that's found in
the bark of the Yew trees in the old growth forests.

   President Clinton has made clear his commitment to reviving
our economy and creating jobs, to investing in America, to ensure
our long-term economic strength.  That's what his economic
package is all about.  And that's what this Forest Conference is
about, too.  We are eager to hear from you.  We're eager to learn
from you.

   Thank you all for joining us, for helping us, and for working
with us.  (Applause.)

 END 10:59 A.M. PST