{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://balderson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2546", "Balderson, Johnson, and Wenstrup Demand Transparency on the Renaming of Wayne National Forest", "2023-09-08", "2023", "2023-09", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Troy Balderson", "B001306", "balderson.house.gov", "balderson", "https://balderson.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27&Page=6", "scraper", "WASHINGTON D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representatives Troy Balderson (OH-12), Bill Johnson (OH-6), and Brad Wenstrup (OH-2) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore raising concerns over the recently announced plan to change the name of Ohio\u2019s Wayne National Forest to the Buckeye National Forest. The forest, which is located in each of the Representatives\u2019 congressional districts, covers a quarter million acres of land in southeast Ohio and is named after General Anthony Wayne, a Revolutionary War general and Founding Father of the United States.\n\nThe letter questions the renaming of the forest, and it draws attention to the lack of local engagement and rushed public comment period.\n\n\u201cWhile we have general concerns with removing Anthony Wayne as the namesake of the forest,\u201d the Representatives wrote, \u201cand whether it is worth the $400,000 price tag, we would like additional information as to why, after 70 years, the decision to rename the forest was done with little to no community involvement. As you know, the U.S. Forest Service provided only a 15-day public engagement period on whether the proposed name, Buckeye National Forest, \u2018would be unacceptable.\u2019\u201d\n\nThe Representatives call for increased transparency and ample opportunity for local communities to voice their opinion. Specifically, they request the Forest Service:\n\nExtend the public comment period to hear local residents\u2019 perspective on the proposed name and solicit alternative names for the forest;\n\nCommit to community forums with local residents in southeast Ohio to explain why the Forest Service believes it is appropriate to change the name of the forest;\n\nMeet with local leaders and elected officials to solicit their feedback on changing he name of the forest;\n\nProvide the local communities with detailed information on why the Forest Service believes it is in the community\u2019s best interest to remove Anthony Wayne as the namesake of the forest and provide information on the procedure for selecting a new name; and\n\nProvide a justification as to why renaming the forest is a responsible use of taxpayer dollars.\n\nThe full letter is available HERE.\n\n###\n\nRelated News\n\nBalderson Sees Opportunity in Grant Announcement for Intel Ohio\n\nMarch 20, 2024 | Posted in Press Releases\n\nProtecting consumer choice and standing up to Biden\u2019s EV mandate\n\nDecember 15, 2023 | Posted in Articles\n\nBalderson Applauds Passage of Bill Blocking the Ban of Gas-Powered Vehicles\n\nSeptember 15, 2023 | Posted in Press Releases\n\nBalderson, Colleagues Introduce Make American Flags in America Act on Flag Day\n\nJune 15, 2023 | Posted in Press Releases", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:35:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://balderson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2546"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8386522531509399, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}