Congressman says money doesn't influence his policy stances
By Peter Sachs / The Bulletin
WASHINGTON - Rep. Greg Walden led all lawmakers in money
raised from forest products companies in the 2004 campaign, and
so far he has the most in the 2005-2006 election cycle, a review of
campaign contribution records found.
As the Oregon Republican's timber salvage bill heads for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives, some politicians and environmentalists have called his motives into question. But Walden said his bill has been fleshed out with the support of members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, and the bill hasn't been influenced by timber companies.
At this point in the 2005-2006 election cycle, Walden has collected nearly $77,000 from timber interests, according to data from the Federal Elections Commission and the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan watchdog group.
So far in the 2006 campaign cycle, the timber industry donations have amounted to slightly more than 10 percent of the $760,000 in contributions Walden has received, according to the most recent data available, which is from April 26. Substantial contributions have come from organizations and individuals affiliated with companies like Seneca Jones Timber, Georgia-Pacific Corp. and Weyerhaeuser Co.
The president of Prineville-based Ochoco Lumber Co. has given to Walden's campaign, though most contributions have come from companies active in southwestern Oregon.
In his 2004 re-election campaign, Walden, who chairs the House Resources forest subcommittee, received nearly $108,000 from forest products companies. That is almost $30,000 more than Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., the recipient in the No. 2 spot in the 2003- 2004 period.
Oregon's primary elections are this Tuesday. Walden has only one Republican opponent: Corvallis resident Paul Daghlian, who has said he does not expect to unseat Walden. Daghlian has spent little money on advertising or mounting a campaign.
Four Democrats - Chuck Butcher, Dan Davis, Scott Silver and Carol Voisin - are hoping to win control of Oregon's 2nd Congressional District from Walden. The four traveled together throughout the region in March and April to boost their name recognition and debate each other.
Walden's bill would make it easier to begin logging after forest fires by enabling speedier post-fire environmental reviews, the congressman said. This is important, Walden said, because the quality of the timber deteriorates quickly as it rots after a fire. The current approval process to salvage log can take anywhere from six months to three years.
The bill's opponents counter that an increase in salvage logging would cause untold harm to local wildlife habitats.
During a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., stopped short of directly linking campaign contributions from timber companies to Walden's bill. But he suggested that the industry may have played a role in shaping the bill.
"Big timber interests have been pushing for this type of legislation," he said. "It's typical of what's happening in Congress."
Walden vehemently disputed Udall's inference, accusing his colleague of launching a baseless personal attack.
"There are 147 co-sponsors on this bill," Walden said. "I'm not the only one doing this."
Several environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and the United Forest Defense Campaign, have opposed Walden's bill and its predecessor, the 2003 Healthy Forests Restoration Act. Those groups and others argue that Walden overlooked a number of scientific studies challenging the environmental benefits of salvage logging.
"The fact that he is getting money from companies with a vested interest in that, and ignoring the research that has been done, is concerning and alarming," said Asante Riverwind, a Sierra Club activist in Sisters.
But the research is far from unanimous, as both Walden and at least one researcher point out.
Oregon State University graduate student Dan Donato published a research article in January showing that salvage logging six months after a fire caused appreciable environmental harm and prevented the growth of seedling trees. But in an e-mail interview last week, Donato said more recent research found mixed environmental results when logging takes place soon after a fire.
Walden said he agreed that more research is needed on salvage logging.
Counting contributions
Nonpartisan groups like the Washington-based Center for Responsible Politics and Common Cause make it their job to keep tabs on which industries and companies are donating to political campaigns, and which politicians are receiving that money.
In the current campaign cycle, forest products companies have given more than $1 million to about 160 members of the U.S. House - about $4,000 per representative, the Center for Responsive Politics reported. Walden's $77,000 in contributions is well above the mean.
"It's certainly noteworthy," said Common Cause spokeswoman Mary Boyle. "I wouldn't say it's shocking or unusual."
The timber industry, as a whole, ranks somewhere in the middle of the amount of money given by special interest political action committee contributions, said center spokesman Massie Ritsch.
"It would appear that the timber industry's political influence has diminished over time," Ritsch said, citing data showing the industry has slid about 20 spots down in rankings for the amount of money given in the last decade.
Boyle and Ritsch agreed that two factors may be behind the larger- than-average share of timber contributions going to Walden: his leadership of the House forestry subcommittee and the timber industry's stronger presence in Oregon compared with most other states.
"Supporting a congressman from Oregon, especially a Republican congressman, is not surprising," Ritsch said.
That pattern holds true on the Senate side as well. During his campaign for re-election in 2002, Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., raised more than $230,000 of his $7.7 million campaign fund from timber industry sources. By contrast, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who collected about $5 million overall for his 2004 campaign, received nearly $84,000 from the forest products industry.
"I don't think it's too cynical to say that campaign contributions are made with at least the hope of getting your way in Congress," Ritsch said.
The very fact that Walden, Wyden and Smith have raised so much money as incumbents highlights deeper issues, in Boyle's opinion.
"This all points to our very flawed campaign finance system," she said. "If (congressmen) weren't so under-the-gun to raise so much money, then they would be less reliant on industry contributions, and then they could focus more on constituents' problems."
The bill
While Walden's bill would only provide for faster reviews after forest fires, environmental groups worry it will result in increased logging. Oregon's annual timber harvest is now half of what it was in the 1980s, producing about 4 billion board feet in 2003, based on data from the Oregon Department of Forestry.
"We will create jobs," Walden said. He noted that the decline of the timber industry in Oregon has hurt rural communities, where one sawmill's closing can wipe out jobs for a significant percentage of the population.
Walden said he is confident his bill will be set for a vote in the House before Memorial Day. With 147 Democratic and Republican co-sponsors, Walden predicts he will be able to round up the remaining votes needed for a majority among the 435 House members.
But the Sierra Club is not about to give up the fight, either, saying its own sources suggest the bill may face a close vote in the House.
"I don't know that it's a forgone conclusion that it will pass the House," Riverwind said.