Governors to tackle wildfire issues

Missoulian ^ | 6-16-2003 | SHERRY DEVLIN

[EBUCK]

Here we go.

In one fire alone, Arizona lost 460,000 acres of timber, Faeth said. Now 800,000 acres are infested with bark beetles. Napolitano has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide emergency assistance funds. FEMA's reply: "Call us when something's on fire."

Ya know, I seem to remember a rare breed of person especially suited to the task of forest clean-up....they were called LOGGERS you friggin dolt!

[EBUCK]

Ping-a-ling

[My2Cents]

a rare breed of person especially suited to the task of forest clean-up....they were called LOGGERS you friggin dolt!

ROFL!!!...

But, seriously...When it comes to commercial timberland, I suppose loggers are the primary custodians of the forests. We just returned from a vacation to Yellowstone. There is still evidence of the massive fires that swept through about 2/3 of the park in 1988 -- fallen/burnt logs everywhere, but also the scarred land is littered with new pine trees, measuring any where from 6- to-10-feet high. What we were told there was that after the fire, biologists found that the diversity of plant and animal life in the burned-forest increases 3-fold. Fires add nutrients to the soil. It also clears out a forest and permits other kinds of trees to take root their (prior to the fire, Yellowstone was dominated by Lodgepoll Pines -- boring monotony of Lodgepoll Pines; now other trees have taken root). So the biologists are concluding that while man-made structures in the parks need to be protected from fire, the forest itself is benefitted by an occasional "cleansing" firestorm.

[EBUCK]

Fire isn't the devil and does serve a purpose but the kinds of fires we are getting are no where near natural.

And sure, we will get increased bio-diversity afterwards, when the weeds take over.

Besides, going from boring to not-so-boring, isn't good policy in my book.

[sistergoldenhair]

Thanks for the ping.

[Carry_Okie]

What you were told by the biologists was pure spin. Had they logged Yellowstone first, and then had their fire, they could have had the same improvements without losing all that topsoil into the lake or filling so many creeks with mud.

Now they'll let those young trees overpopulate and do it again. All to cover their sorry butts.

[blackie]

Fire up the chainsaws and let the good times roll!

[farmfriend]

I'm hurt! Where was my ping? Sheesh.

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.

Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the find and the ping!

[tubebender]

Humboldt County had two wildland fires this weekend. CDF and the USFS handled them in good order but soon the "firebugs" will be active on the Hoopa Reservation. Over two hundred last year most small because they were set in previous areas but a couple got into unburned lands and went to several hundred acres.

[nwconservative]

The Bottom line from the environmentalists will be; fire is a natural process let it burn. Their main objection to logging is that it increases consumption, furthering economic growth. They will mask that point with lots of talk about sustainability, eco-tourism, and the rest of the guano the spew; but the bottom line is it creates private sector jobs, that is an environmental sin.

What needs to happen is, get enough conservatives to the meeting so as we outnumber the greens. The greens use conferences like thin a propaganda tool. Isn't it about time we took that tool away from them?

[farmfriend]

What needs to happen is, get enough conservatives to the meeting so as we outnumber the greens.

You and I need to talk.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!

[My2Cents]

The concept of "management" in the National Parks is to let nature take its course. I kind of like that concept.

[EBUCK]

Yer not on my list????? Sorry ff, I'll get right on that!!

[EBUCK]

The concept of "management" in the National Parks is to let nature take its course. I kind of like that concept.

No, the concept of National Parks it to allow the Fed to hold land as collateral against the national debt. Everything else is just gravy.

[My2Cents]

You're perspective is too cynical to be compelling.

[Carry_Okie]

The concept of "management" in the National Parks is to let nature take its course. I kind of like that concept.

It's a nice concept (and is certainly popular), but it doesn't work. People do love to enjoy things for which they feel no accountability, however, you need to learn more about the reality of their condition and history before you conclude that laissez faire is a rational plan. Nature needs care and maintenance, especially when the boundary conditions have changed.

I've been doing habitat managent and restoration for over fourteen years. It's both expensive and physically and intellectually demanding work. A healthy habitat doesn't come for free.