Posted on 09/19/2017 10:55:22 AM PDT by reaganaut1
The current hurricane season is capturing most media attention, but Westerners have been living through another nasty season of wildfires. So full marks for Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who is reversing years of federal neglect to prevent more fires.
Last week Mr. Zinke issued a memo instructing his land managers and park superintendents to use the “full authority” of their bureaus to begin clearing the dead and dying trees and brush that clog federal lands and are a tinderbox for Western wildfires. This is the first time in more than 20 years that Interior will, as the memo notes, “proactively work to prevent forest fires through aggressive and scientific fuels reduction managements to save lives, homes, and wildlife habitat.”
Forest Service policies have contributed to a fuels buildup for more than a century. But Bill Clinton turbocharged the mismanagement in the 1990s when he sharply reduced logging and road-building in federal forests. This has let disease and insect infestations run rampant, and fire proliferation is one result.
The number and intensity of Western megafires is growing, and this year some 47,000 wildfires torched eight million acres—an area the size of Maryland. Bigger and more intense fire seasons now also routinely destroy thousands of homes, and more than 450 firefighters have been killed on duty since 1990.
Before the Clinton era, the Forest Service spent about 16% of its annual budget fighting fires once underway. In 2015 it had to spend more than half for the first time in its 110-year history. The rising costs mean the Forest Service must poach money from programs aimed at preventing fires through better forest restoration and management.
Forest cleanup has become a local, bipartisan cause in the West, as state officials, land owners and others coalesce for more active debris removal and forest thinning.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
About time. I believe homeowners in some areas out west are forbidden to remove the old tinder. Maybe Ca.
I can’t read the rest of it, but it’s good to see that the WSJ is not attacking Trump over this. Bill & Hill truly made a mess of our forests and national parks, and the news media have mainly ignored the underlying problem.
“About time. I believe homeowners in some areas out west are forbidden to remove the old tinder. Maybe Ca.”
Well, I own two homes in California and both are in places with lots of trees and vegetation. And I can tell you that the fire prevention people are like “stink on $hit” about policing your property to maintain fire safety. You fail to keep it up, and they will do it for you and add the costs to your property tax bill.
We're not talking about parking out the entire forest, which would be impossible anyway. We're talking about relatively minimal clearance and the establishment of fire lanes and stops. Mother Gaia isn't going to start screaming, in fact, Mother Gaia doesn't give a rip.
But timing is important. There gets to a point where it's too dry to use power equipment to clear safely. Given that the federal government has laid claim to the vast swathes of territory it has (that's quite another conversation) it does take on the responsibility to maintain it. There is no "benign" neglect.
"...Last week Mr. Zinke issued a memo instructing his land managers and park superintendents to use the “full authority” of their bureaus to begin clearing the dead and dying trees and brush that clog federal lands and are a tinderbox for Western wildfires. This is the first time in more than 20 years that Interior will, as the memo notes, “proactively work to prevent forest fires through aggressive and scientific fuels reduction managements to save lives, homes, and wildlife habitat."
The bark beetle devastated over a million ponderosas near our Yosemite area. The fires here have been fueled by these dead, standing “roman candles”. Yes, we need some wisdom in management of federal lands, thank you President Trump!
My son and I were at Sequoia / King’s Canyon NPs last summer — could not believe the amount of dead trees from the bark beetle. I thought it was bad in Colorado near Estes Park — wow...Sierras in CA were much, much worse. That damn bug is spreading all over the place and it seems nothing can stop it.
It’s the government doing it’s job below the radar where no one gets credit. The left saves money for other stuff by neglecting and paying a bigger price putting the fires out afterwards. They can blame it on global warming rather than covering the real news. Pretty smart.
It is only bipartisan because the Democrats know the people are against them on this. If they were in charge, everybody’s property would burn.
DDT can stop it.
You may know that already, I don’t mean to be smart.
DDT may have worked when the infestation was small in area and if it were hit hard. Now, with millions of acres affected, probably too late.
Will thid mean that Libby Army Air Field will once more be Fire Fichter/Bomber Air Field, like it used to be in the South east Corner of Cochise Coubty, Arizona.
Will thid mean that Libby Army Air Field will once more be Fire Fichter/Bomber Air Field, like it used to be in the South east Corner of Cochise County, Arizona.
Thanks!
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