Rehberg Responds to Senator Tester: Asks for Most Recent Bill Draft and Pushes for More Transparency
CBU Comment: If Senator Tester agrees to this meeting, it will be the first time he will have to publicly answer to the questions of the bill being drafted behind closed doors, not bringing all affected partys’ to an open table, and why there is no hard release language to protect the logging provisions. This bill impacts multiple-use recreation, logging, Montana’s water rights, grazing leases issued after 1964, private lands within proposed new wilderness and many the other issues. CBU urges the public to continue voicing concerns and suggestions on this bill. CBU also thanks Representative Rehberg for engaing the public to openly discuss this bill.
Rep. Rehberg Press Release:
WASHINGTON , D.C. – Montana ’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today sent a response to Senator Jon Tester (MT) regarding his request for a meeting to discuss his wilderness bill. Senator Tester sent a letter to Rehberg late last week asking the Congressman to meet him in his Senate office in Washington , DC to discuss the issue. Rehberg recently completed 22 public meetings in Montana on the subject of Senator Tester’s wilderness bill.
“While it’s clear that some fortunate interest groups have been very involved in writing this bill from the beginning, my goal is to include all Montanans who are impacted by this legislation,” said Rehberg, a member of the Congressional Sportsman’s Caucus. “Each of my twenty-two meetings has been open to the public. I certainly don’t see a reason why a meeting with Senator Tester should be any different.” Rehberg asked Senator Tester to meet with him in Montana , rather than in his Washington , D.C. office, and that the meeting be open to the public and the press.
In his letter, Rehberg also asked Senator Tester to join him in posting the individual comments Senator Tester heard from Montanans at his “open house” meetings on his website. “As Montana ’s representatives to the U.S. Congress, we have the honorable distinction of setting for ourselves a higher standard of openness and transparency,” wrote Rehberg in his letter.
Finally, Rehberg noted that all of Senator Tester’s “open house” meetings took place after his bill had been written and introduced. Since Senator Tester’s most recent meeting was more than two months ago, Rehberg asked to see the most recent working draft of his wilderness bill that contained any changes resulting from the input he received at those meetings.
“I think Montanans would like to see how their ideas are being implemented in the bill,” said Rehberg. “Seeing what progress has already been made would certainly make our meeting more productive since we could avoid concerns that have already been addressed.”
Complete Letter from Representative Rehberg to Senator Tester:
Dear Senator Tester,
Thank you for your letter of January 15, and for your patience in receiving my response. In fairness to all whose opinions I have heard, I wanted to complete my January 16 listening session in Lincoln County before responding. Libby was my twenty-second public meeting on your wilderness bill. I’ve heard from hundreds of Montanans on every aspect of your legislation. It’s important to me that each of their opinions is given due consideration.
As you have likely read in the various press accounts of my public meetings, Montanans have some reasonable and thoughtful concerns that deserve to be addressed. It’s our job to account for those concerns.
As Montana ’s representatives to the U.S. Congress, we have the honorable distinction of setting for ourselves a higher standard of openness and transparency. I therefore propose that before you and I sit down, we put the input we’ve received into the public forum for all to see. I have a three-step approach which I believe is the best way for us to work together to provide the transparency Montanans expect and deserve.
First, because I took questions during my listening sessions, many of the questions and comments I received have already been reported in the corresponding press coverage. However, many comments weren’t reported by the media, which is why I’m currently working to post each comment on my website for all Montanans to see. We undoubtedly have heard a lot of the same ideas, and it would be helpful for our meeting to see the scope of comments you have already heard in order to focus on those that may be new to you. I therefore ask you to join me in posting summaries of each of the comments you heard at your public meetings.
Second, according to your online schedule, you hosted six “open houses” to discuss your wilderness bill between July 18 and November 12. These meetings occurred after you had already written and introduced your bill on July 17, so the current version posted on your website – which is exactly the same as the version you introduced on July 17 – couldn’t possibly contain any of the changes that were suggested at your later “open house” meetings. Since it’s been two months since your most recent “open house,” you’ve had plenty of time to make changes based on what you learned in Montana . I would appreciate a copy of your most recent legislative draft, which incorporates the comments and suggestions you have received, so we can ensure we’re both working from the same starting point.
Third, if there’s one thing I’ve heard crystal clear at the 42 listening sessions I’ve hosted since last year, it’s that Montanans don’t like the sort of secret back room deals we’re currently seeing in the health care debate. I therefore suggest that instead of a private meeting in your Senate office, it would be more appropriate to meet in Montana , in full view of Montanans and the press. Let’s do this right by doing it in the light of day.
As I have said at each of my meetings, I appreciate your efforts to get this important ball rolling. Together, I think we can find a way to forge a consensus-based solution when it comes to stewardship of our forests. Ultimately, I think we can both agree that this approach is most likely to result in a policy that’s good for all Montanans.
Sincerely,
Denny
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
All who support multple-use in the areas impacted by Senator Tester’s S1470 bill should thank Denny for engaging the public on this bill. I attended two of Senator Tester’s open houses and was met with argumentative staff and a Senator who directed me to make my comments to Ed Regan (RY Lumber) and Sherm Anderson (Sun Mountain Lumber). Why would I comment to private citizens on the Senator’s bill? Probably because the Senator is not interested in my comments. Denny, on the other hand, respectfully listened to my comments, questions and concerns and wrote some of them down. His staff was professional and courteous. Everyone should contact Senator Tester to encourage him to meet publically, in Montana with Representative Rehberg.
Denny…Thank you for your integrity. I for one appreciate your proposal of the meeting being held in the light of day for concerned Montanan’s to see. I think we have seen enough of the closed door, back room politics that has been prevalent in Washington lately. Thank you for looking out for interests of all Montanan’s.
Senator Tester may be stuck between a rock barrier closing a public road and a beetle killed tree with a wilderness sign nailed to it ready to fall down and catch on fire, with Rehbergs great request!!!
I was disappointed by Testers open house format of meetings in which he and the bill writers-supporters would not answer any public questions in front of the entire crowd so everybody could hear his answers.
This bill lacks real input from the most affect people who were not invited to the table, that stand to loose the most. One has to feel sorry for the loggers, but the mills have thrown the rest of their supporting friends and family under the bus such as recreation, agriculture, mining, hunting, fishing, stock use, and even the forest service.
If this bill ever did pass I would give it two years and the amount of litigation would increase, and the lumber companies will be out of business, and public recreation will almost cease to exist with the enviro groups being put in control of public policy making given to them in the bill, while public comment gets trounced.
Remember the mission statement of the green groups is to GET MORE WILDERNESS!!! And they will use any tool to support their agenda and gain more money through litigation from the taxpayers.
Any direction that Tester goes, it will show the colors of misinformation by being laid on the table or the hiding it behind the new Democrat behind lock door false transparency agenda feuling distrust across the nation.
Thanks for posting this, I think it is great to see that our representative (Dennis Rehberg) is actually doing what we elected him to do “represent the good citizens of the state”. If Senator Tester wants to talk about his bill, he should do so in a public forum, in the state he was elected to serve.
The arrogance has got to end. Tester is supposed to be supporting the PEOPLE of MONTANA, not the interests of out of staters who want to impose their will us. Fairness and openess should be the goal. Please start listening to us, seriously, and not just giving us lip service. I respect very much Rep. Rehberg’s approach. If this is what is right for us, allow us to be part of the process, don’t just give us a completed project. The way that this proposed bill has been presented is exactly what the voters in this country are increasingly frustrated by. Don’t shut out Montanans for the sake of contributors from outside the state.
Everyone should relax. Senator Tester invited many viewpoints to develop his bill and it is a good bill. He even got the support of former Gov. Marc Racicot. Senator Tester has heard from many and he did a great job of presenting his bill in his open houses, where he and his staff took questions and comments. No one has been treated unfairly in the process. It’s time for some new wilderness and its time for you “multiple-users” to stop complaining and start complimenting. Recognize a good job when you see one.
The Wilderness drought is almost over as Mr. Tester promised. I think he brought the only people who love the forest in to protect it.
Born and raised in Montana. Thank you Denny for standing up to the elected officials who have forgotten why we make our home in Montana. Generations have raised their families in a state where the freedom to enjoy the outdoors and its beauty is part of the lifestyle we have stuggled to maintain. I believe the time has come where elected officials will be required to stop listening to the special interest groups regarding policies that effect all Montanans’. I would ask Denny that you make it your promise to the people of Montana to cut thru the “Washington BS” and do the right thing. Don’t let the way of Washington be the way in Montana. We can together, maintain the beauty of our forests with the intentions of use, as God intended.
I am writing concerning the Senate bill Senator Tester introduced in July SB 1470 titled: Forest Jobs and Recreation Act of 2009
While the bill tries to appease both the supporters of Wilderness and the supporters of private bs, ie logging; in general it will not be good for Montana’s economy nor for Montana’s people.
If you really believe that Nature is the best steward of the land let your farm acres go back to nature and see if the production is better or worse. The same principle applies to the Forest Lands that need to be managed by man, not left alone to deteriorate and burn.
I believe Montana has enough Wilderness areas. To designate more & more wilderness while driving out private industry (oil & gas exploration) you will have Montanans on the ‘Endangered Species List’! Please rethink this legislation and do not vote for it!