SVI Media’s Dan Dockstader spoke with Brett Story, who recently testified in Congress to the Natural Resources Committee in Washington D.C. regarding the Greys River Collaborative and forest service management in Wyoming.

(0:00) Brett Storey, a name that you’re familiar with, he’s been helping with the Grays River Collaborative. (0:04) Now he’s sitting down with SVI for a conversation and report on his testimony in front of the Subcommittee on Natural Resources back in Washington, D.C. (0:12) How’s that, Brett, that you get to go in front of a federal committee, in front of Congress and testify? (0:17) Bring us up to date on how that went. (0:18) Sure.

Well, first of all, it was a client of mine from California that was asked by Congressman McClintock from California to testify on behalf of a National Environmental Policy Act streamlining bill that he had presented. (0:35) And so I said, absolutely, happy to help. Read the bill and determined that I had some background that could help bring about this change.

(0:45) And any change, in my opinion, of NEPA that simplifies it and streamlines it is a good thing. (0:50) Right. NEPA’s a complicated matter.

You went to them with the message that simplify it and let’s get some work done? (0:56) Yes, yes. In fact, this is a very narrow piece. It’s about the alternatives that you must look at when you do this environmental planning.

(1:03) And this bill just simply says, look at the look at the proposal you want and then look at doing nothing in the forest, which is really where all the environmental issues are anyways. (1:14) And, you know, if you don’t do anything, it’s going to burn. If you do something, it’s going to be better off.

(1:19) And that’s what this bill simplified. It was all about. And in my experience, working projects across five national forests, the simpler, the better, because it costs time and money to get things done.

(1:30) And you already have to analyze a host of issues. The less things you can analyze, the quicker you can get that job done, which means the quicker you can thin the forest and make it protected for both man and animals. (1:45) And your testimony came in front of a legislative committee that actually Congresswoman Harriet Hageman sits on.

You were working with Congressman Tom McClintock. (1:54) Yes. (1:54) Any thoughts before we leave that topic and talk about your visit with the Wyoming delegation back in D.C.? (2:01) Sure.

First, Congresswoman Hageman is trying to repeal the roadless rule, which I believe is a good thing. (2:08) And ironically, so does the Forest Service. Members across the other side of the aisle did not.

(2:13) And it was kind of amazing to me to see how Congressmen and women will pick the one item that works in their favor and present that as the fact, as the only fact. (2:25) And the associate chief of the Forest Service was very good at saying, well, that might be true. (2:30) However, there is this other side of the story.

And I think that’s sometimes lost when we get the headlines about people arguing over something is there’s always more to the story. (2:41) And it’s in our best interest to hear the whole story before we make a vote. I’m sure you will agree, Senator.

(2:46) Simply listen. Listen. Yes, indeed.

Your thoughts on visiting with the D.C. delegation. (2:50) You got to visit with our representative, Congressman Hageman, Senator Lemus, Senator Brasso in person. (2:57) Yes, it was exciting.

In fact, if anyone out there is going to Washington, D.C., make sure you’re there on a Wednesday. (3:05) So you get to go to Wyoming Wednesday. It is a it is great, especially if you like donuts and coffee.

(3:10) They have those for you. But it really was it was it was a special I’ve never testified testified before Congress. (3:18) I have been to D.C. a lot and I have met lots of senators and congressmen.

But this was special. (3:24) I mean, this I’ve I’ve never met any of Wyoming’s representatives. And I was not only able to meet them.

(3:31) They knew something about me, which which made me feel good. (3:35) It made me feel like why why we moved to Wyoming, which is it is a small town. (3:39) It’s just in the 10th largest state in the United States.

But each of them had a piece of my background. (3:45) Now, obviously, a staff member gave that to him, but I was impressed that they actually had that. (3:50) And we talked issues about forestry because they knew that I’m working forestry issues here in Star Valley.

(3:57) And and so but yeah, it was it was really neat. (4:00) It was it was a special time worth the the the long flights in a couple of days time turnaround. (4:06) But yeah, I’d I thought it was a wonderful experience.

(4:10) Very good. Bread story. Working with the Green River Collaborative.

Dan Dockstader, SBI Media.