GRANTS - In an exclusive interview with the Beacon following a public forum on immigration last week, Representative Steve Pearce talked more about his ideas on illegal immigration and discussed the energy bill signed into law by President Bush Tuesday in Albuquerque.

Many citizens do not support the provisions in the energy bill which grant substantial tax benefits to energy companies and utilities while doing nothing to address the high retail cost of oil products and natural gas. But according to Pearce, "The tax breaks to these companies only apply to deep drilling if the wholesale price falls and a stimulus is needed. When that happens, the small drillers and producers need an economic stimulus. If the wholesale price is high, there would be no need for a stimulus. What we're looking for is a way to limit the top and bottom ranges in prices."

Pearce put a local angle on provisions in the energy bill to encourage nuclear energy. "It is possible," he said, "that expansion of nuclear energy could restart uranium mining in the Grants area. Clean coal technology, wind farms and biomass energy [energy derived from wood products] are other possibilities for economic development in this area. The natural resources in our state will have much more value - for example, the potash mines in Eddy County."

The representative sees great promise for biomass energy. "We will be thinning small diameter trees in our national forests so we can produce wood pulp from them. This is an avenue for economic development in this area, and there are other applications for forest products, which can create jobs. I think the U.S. will be importing less natural gas, and the higher consumer prices are caused by power plants switching to natural gas from coal, which doesn't burn as cleanly. This situation shows the choices that we make as a nation."

Pearce currently serves as chairman of the National Parks Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and believes that the parks' business plans need to be retooled. "For example, we need to balance business interests with historical preservation. We need to distinguish between historical and 'just old.' In Hawaii there are some old army barracks from World War II, which have been designated historical landmarks, but these crumbling buildings are filled with asbestos which poses a hazard to human beings around them. I'd like to see the parks develop some large bus tours, which could include some destinations in New Mexico."

A recurring fear among those who love our national parks is the possibility of outsourcing park ranger jobs to private providers. Pearce says, "I don't see the privatization of ranger jobs."

In regard to the problem of illegal immigrants, Pearce believes we need a tightly controlled guest-worker program. "We don't have a sensible program now, and that encourages illegal aliens to come here. If we instituted a program with clear guidelines, workers could cross the border with the proper documents to work here legally. Perhaps we could use biometric identification, which uses fingerprints or retinal scans. There will be a growing number of jobs available in the U.S. because of the impending retirement of 30 million baby boomers. All most employers ask is that an employee pass a drug screen and show up," says Pearce.

By Diane Fowler