Free Republic

Narrow Minded ZealotsThe Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is home to some 350,000 people who live and work in the 23 counties that comprise the ecosystem. A very small but vocal and well funded group of this population (the Eco-Tally-Ban) is not happy we are utilizing our area's abundant natural resources to make our living and want us to stop. Ranching, farming, logging, forest recreation, residential construction and tourist facilitation is the target of these green activists that have deemed us trespassers in the land of the animal and tree. Human nature provides a mental mechanism (guilt) that sometimes retroactively provides a...

The Greening of McKinneyBy Lowell PonteFrontPageMagazine.com | September 17, 2002 ONLY DAYS AGO CYNTHIA McKINNEY LOST the Democratic Party nomination for the Georgia congressional Fourth District — once known as the surreally race-gerrymandered “Sherman’s March to the Sea” district — that she was first elected to represent in 1992.But now this defeated demagogue may find political resurrection as the 2004 Presidential candidate of the loony Left Green Party.“The Jews, J-E-W-S,” is who McKinney’s now also-ousted state legislator father Billy blamed for his daughter’s loss to a more moderate African-American woman, Denise Majette.Many Jewish leaders had given support to her opponent...

Environmentalist Wacko Quotes By John Hawkins Environmentalist wackos are anti-progress, anti-capitalism, anti-American, anti-poor, make spectacularly incorrect predictions about the climate, and quite frankly some of these people have MORE FRIGHTENING beliefs than al-Queda (I haven't heard any Al-Queda spokesmen talk longingly about a planet without humans on it). You may think I'm exaggerating, but you won't after you read these quotes... Attack Of The Socialist-Luddites The right to have children should be a marketable commodity, bought and traded by individuals but absolutely limited by the state. - Kenneth Boulding, originator of the "Spaceship Earth" concept (as quoted by William Tucker...

Green with anger Marines like to brag that they're the best-trained military force in the world, but many didn't even know how to dig a foxhole when they hit Afghanistan last November. The reason? Rules pushed by enviros in California protecting endangered species prohibit the Marines from digging foxholes at Camp Pendleton near San Diego. "Sometimes," says a miffed Lt. Gen. Edward Hanlon of the greens, "they view our military bases as wildlife parks."

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - French President Jacques Chirac will urge world leaders to launch talks on a new international tax to fight world poverty, sources with him at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg say. The sources said Chirac rejected the existing "Tobin Tax" proposal to raise levies purely on foreign exchange transactions but would call in a speech to the summit for discussion on a wider tax on wealth generated by globalisation. "It could be a tax on airplane tickets, on carbon dioxide, on health products sold in industrialised countries, and indeed on international financial transactions," one source said. "The idea...

Why did the United Nations (UN) and even UK Prime Minister Tony Blair try to cajole President George Bush into attending the Earth Summit meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa? The answer is the very essence of every United Nations meeting I have attended since 1995: follow the money trail. During the 1992 Earth Summit, Secretary-General Maurice Strong cleverly devised the issue of the environment as a means of soaking the rich countries to pay the poor, while ignoring the graft and corruption of Third World governments that are the main cause of their peoples¹ sufferings. This current meeting is a...

Apple Fire Update: September 03, 2002: Fire Information: (541)496-0235 Size: 13,595 acres Started: August 16, 2002 Containment: 75 percent Expected Containment: September 5 at 6:00 p.m. Line to build: 3 miles Location: 21 miles east of Glide near the area of Dry Creek Resources Assigned: 27 crews, 10 helicopters, 27 engines, 20 watertenders, 7 dozers. Total 912 personnel. Objectives: Keep the fire south of the North Umpqua River, west of Twin Lakes and 4770 Road, east of Panther Ridge, and north of a line between Lake in the Woods and Snowbird Mountain. Ensure firefighter and public safety, make management decisions...

AZUSA, Calif., 7:52 a.m. PDT September 3, 2002 - A wildfire in the San Gabriel Mountains that forced people to flee campgrounds over the Labor Day weekend has grown to 14,429 acres, officials said Tuesday. The blaze, which started Sunday afternoon about 30 miles northeast of Los Angeles, was 5 percent contained, said Linda Steinberg, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service. It was expected that the wildfire would be fully contained by Sept. 10, Steinberg said.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - While delegates attending the World Summit wrangled over how best to save the planet's rapidly dwindling resources, they gave scant indication of leading by example. The 10-day summit, billed as the largest U.N. conference ever held, is expected to generate between 300 and 400 tons of trash, and so far, just 20 percent of it is being recycled. "We never had any illusions this would be a green summit," Mary Metcalfe, the environment minister of the Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg, told reporters Friday. "At one stage we were hoping to achieve 90 percent diversion...

 The federal government is great at bothering the American people with a never ending barrage of laws, rules and regulations. Yet, they cannot seem to take responsibility for anything, no matter how much they mess up. This year alone, due to a mishmash of very stupid environmental laws and regulations, the federal government is responsible for allowing over 6.2-million acres (9,688 square miles) of good timber to burn. That's about double the annual average and this is still just August. The federal government took possession, unconstitutionally, of 196 million acres (over 306,000 square miles, total -- for comparison, the State...

New mapping drops Biscuit fire below half-million-acre mark By JEFF BARNARD The Associated Press 8/30/02 12:32 PM GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) -- Based on closer mapping, the size of the massive Biscuit Fire dipped below the half-million-acre mark Friday as firefighters built the last bits of containment lines to securely encircle the blaze. Burning since July 13 when lightning raked the Siskiyou National Forest, the Biscuit Fire stood at 499,780 acres, down from 500,068 acres, and remained 90 percent contained, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Miera Crawford. Full containment was projected for Wednesday. The delay in full containment was caused...

<p>There is little more revelatory to us Washington armchair, journo-politico, all-purpose, television/newspaper, expert, pundit/columnists than actually to talk with a fellow out West who works in an industry we just write about. I recently had correspondence with a man who, right up front, called himself "just a fat old logger now working on a farm." Well, as just a fat old lawyer now working on TV and a newspaper, I liked this fellow right off. I feel more comfortable around people who use ab crunchers to keep the refrigerator door open, and who get a six-pack at the liquor store, not a gym.</p>

There's a Joseph Conrad kind of symbolism in the location of the United Nations-sponsored World Summit on Sustainable Development. A collection of central planners has convened in Johannesburg, South Africa, to further centralize control over private property and streamline the distribution of wealth from freer, more prosperous nations to despotic, underdeveloped ones. The intellectual and ethical impetus for this renewed assault on freedom and prosperity is the repugnant Marxist theory of environmentalism. Conservation is the central planners' Trojan Horse for a globally coordinated assault on individual rights. These "watermelons" – green on the outside, red on the inside – adroitly...

Bush expected to promote new forest policy 08/21/02MICHAEL MILSTEIN and JIM BARNETT When he speaks Thursday in Medford, President Bush is expected to push for more intensive thinning of Western forests to reduce fire danger. And he will likely support legislation streamlining environmental rules that have slowed many Western logging projects. It will plainly signal the administration's approach to forest management against the backdrop of epic wildfires burning throughout Oregon and the West.It could also incite a storm of opposition from environmental groups that argue logging only will do more harm to Western forests. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, said Tuesday...

Black line protects subdivision from Biscuit Oregon Live/The Oregonian, 08/19/02 WENDY LAWTON and WENDY OWEN Residents in a 25-home subdivision near Agness got some relief Sunday as crews finished a burnout to protect them from the Biscuit fire raging three-quarters of a mile away. A black line, an area devoid of fuel, now protects the Oak Flat subdivision, but the line needs to be tested by the main fire to ensure it's secure. "They've got a good buffer," said Dick Fleishman, fire information officer. However, hot temperatures and high winds can blow embers across the line and spark spot fires,...

Fires burning across Oregon The Associated Press, 8/18/02 11:20 AM Major wildfires were burning on about 540,699 acres in Oregon on Sunday. About 9,801 firefighters were working in the state. The Northwest Interagency Communication Center is tracking six major fires in Oregon. Top priorities for fire officials Sunday were the Biscuit fire, covering 435,654 acres, the 53,900-acre Tiller Complex, and the 1,953-acre East Antelope Fire, east of Ashland. BISCUIT FIRE (formerly called Florence Fire; name changed on 8/11/02) Started: Florence fire started 26 miles west of Grant Pass, 07/13/02; Sour Biscuit started 17 miles southwest of Cave Junction. Size: 435,654...

Bush to Tour Fire Lines 08/16/2002 By AP Staff President Bush will visit areas devastated by the Squires fire in Ruch next Thursday during a visit to Oregon that also will include a fund-raising dinner for Republican Senator Gordon Smith, the White House announced Friday. Bush, who is taking a "working vacation" at his ranch in Waco, Texas, also plans stops in California, according to a schedule released by the president's office. The president will deliver a speech on the importance of thinning forests to curb future wildfires, and has invited governors from Western states to join him during the...

More From The Oregonian Homes south of Agness get orders to evacuate 08/16/02 R. GREGORY NOKES The Curry County sheriff gave evacuation notices to residents of 30 homes three miles south of Agness late Thursday evening as the Biscuit fire continued its rapid spread north. The fire came within three-fourths of a mile of the Oak Flats and Spud Road areas near Agness, a community of 150 along the Rogue River, said Dick Fleishman, a fire information officer. Officials decided to give evacuation notices in the area while it was still light out. They did not include Agness, which remains...

Fires burning across Oregon The Associated Press 8/15/02 1:45 AM Major wildfires are burning on about 479,000 acres in Oregon on Tuesday. About 9,400 firefighters are working in the state. The Northwest Interagency Communication Center is tracking five major fires in Oregon. Top priorities for fire officials Wednesday were the Biscuit fire, covering 390,276 acres, and the 44,880-acre Tiller Complex, and the 136-acre Hemlock fire. BISCUIT FIRE (formerly called Florence Fire; name changed on 8/11/02) Started: Florence fire started 26 miles west of Grant Pass, 07/13/02; Sour Biscuit started 17 miles southwest of Cave Junction. Size: 390,276 acres. Containment: 26...

Coastal air helps slow advance of western flank of Biscuit Fire, giving residents hope By JEFF BARNARD, The Associated Press, 8/14/02 3:44 AM BROOKINGS, Ore. -- Hot weather made life miserable for firefighters on the eastern flanks of the Biscuit fire, but moist marine air on the western side helped a small outback subdivision under an evacuation advisory. "I don't think it will get here," Incident Commander Kim Martin said Tuesday while briefing a dozen residents of the Wilderness Retreat subdivision, located about 12 miles east of Brookings on the Chetco River. They stood in the shade of some fir...

The Oregon FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested two people today in connection with an arson fire that damaged log trucks in Eagle Creek in June of last year. Two others were indicted and are being sought. The truck fire happened near where protesters were camped out to block the now-canceled Eagle Creek timber sale. Federal prosecutors said the suspects face up to a million dollars in fines and 30 years in jail. A well-known Portland activist is among those indicted. Michael J. Scarpitti -- who goes by the name Tre Arrow -- is most known for living on a...

Oregon Firefighters get no help from the weather By JEFF BARNARD The Associated Press 8/13/02 3:25 AM GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) -- Dry east winds, low humidity and temperatures topping 100 degrees are giving firefighters all they can handle as the massive Biscuit Fire creeps toward several small towns. The fire, Oregon's largest in more than a century, stood at 376,800 acres on the Siskiyou National Forest and adjoining lands in southwestern Oregon and northern California. It started July 13 from lightning that struck in the remote Kalmiopsis Wilderness. "This week is an important week for the fire," said Susan...

Oregon's largest wildfire in more than a century threatened power lines feeding several Northern California towns yesterday as crews tried to stop a slow creep along its southeastern flank. Hand crews had created three or four fire lines in front of the advancing flames west of O'Brien, but said they would have to ask Pacific Power to shut down the power lines if the wildfire got too close. When carbon-rich smoke thickens around the cables, it can cause the electricity from the lines to arc, endangering firefighters. Turning off the power would put the California towns of Gasquet, Hiouchi and...

<p>GRANTS PASS, Ore.  — The nation's largest active wildfire grew to about 333,890 acres early Saturday, making it Oregon's largest wildfire in over a century.</p> <p>The blaze in the Siskiyou National Forest and adjoining lands in southwestern Oregon and Northern California is now larger than the 1933 Tillamook Fire, which burned 311,000 acres.</p>

Fires Spread Plant Damage, Disease, Ore-gone Eco Terrorists's View of Fire Fighting 08/10/2002 By GILLIAN FLACCUS, Associated Press Writer The Lemmingsworth Gulch Research Natural Area would be a wonderful place to make a last stand against a raging wildfire -- it's wet, boggy and flat, without many trees. But when fire officials suggested building a fireline through the 818-acre site to help contain the massive Florence Fire, ecologist Dr. Tom Atzet balked. The federally designated area contains at least three sensitive plant species, including the fly-eating Cobra lily, and serves as a crucial research spot. "That research area has a...

August 10, 2002 Florence fire jumps lines, makes tracks for Brookings By PAUL FATTIG Medford Florence fire jumps lines, makes tracks for Brookings Mail Tribune The dog days of August continue to hound firefighters battling the southern flank of the 331,375-acre Florence fire. As temperatures rise, residents in the hamlet of Wilderness Retreat along the Chetco River more than a half-dozen miles east of Brookings have been warned to evacuate on a moment’s notice if the fire flares up along its southwest flank. However, the fire is about three and a half miles from the scattered homes and as of...

Friday, August 9, 2002 Task Force Says Some Grazing OK By Brendan Smith Journal Staff Writer     Range conditions in the Santa Fe National Forest are much better than reported by forest officials, and about half of the closed grazing allotments can still support cattle this year, the New Mexico Range Improvement Task Force reported Thursday.     The task force evaluation was requested by ranchers who were ordered last month to remove all or part of their herds from about 40 grazing allotments, which forest officials said had been damaged by severe drought and overgrazing.     However, the task force...

Friday, August 9, 2002 Groups Protest N.M. Drilling By Tania Soussan Journal Staff Writer     Provisions of a House energy bill now before congressional negotiators would allow unprecedented oil and gas drilling in sensitive areas of New Mexico, conservationists said this week.     A coalition of 17 groups — including the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, the San Juan Citizen's Alliance and Forest Guardians — released a report detailing the potential impacts of the bill.     They called on Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., and others to kill several provisions in the energy bill passed by...

<p>RENO, Nev. (AP) -- The federal government and environmentalists are locked in a bitter dispute over the answer to a thorny question: When is a burned tree no longer alive?</p> <p>The debate has resurfaced as the Forest Service tries to log fire-killed trees in the Sierra Nevada and elsewhere in the West as part of an effort to reduce fire threats.</p>

Uncontrolled wildfires destroying tens of thousands of acres of pristine forestland in southern Oregon and threatening scores of homes, farms and ranches are now raging very close to WorldNetDaily's secluded corporate headquarters, forcing evacuation of all personnel and vital equipment. The so-called "Florence" fire, ignited by lightning almost two weeks ago, has already consumed over 18,000 acres of tinder-dry forest and remains totally uncontained despite the efforts of 500 firefighters. "Our primary concern right now is for the safety of our employees and their fight to save their own homes," said Joseph Farah, editor and chief executive officer of WorldNetDaily....

30-mile fire front menaces southwest Oregon towns 07/30/02 BETH QUINN CAVE JUNCTION -- Wildland firefighters battled to keep a 30-mile-long wall of fire from reaching the Illinois Valley on Monday where 17,000 people were warned to get ready to flee. From Our Advertiser As the 70,000 acre Florence fire roared south toward the 20,000-acre Sour Biscuit blaze, firefighters dug a last-ditch fire line stretching along the western edge of the valley and southwestern Oregon communities. Sixteen bulldozers worked the line on the steep ridges west of Woodrat, Tennessee and Eight Dollar mountains while 14 more wait along U.S. 199 in...

<p>Two others survive their engine's plunge as their crew fights the Klamath National Forest blaze.</p> <p>Three U.S. Forest Service firefighters from the Lassen National Forest died Sunday and two others were critically injured when their engine tumbled into a steep ravine while they were battling a wildfire near the Oregon state line, officials said.</p>

Wildfire News Fires burning on more than 272,000 acres across Oregon The Associated Press 7/29/02 1:03 AM Major wildfires were burning on 272,422 acres in Oregon on Sunday. About 12,503 firefighters are working in the state. The Northwest Interagency Communication Center is tracking at least 15 major fires in Oregon. Top priorities for fire officials were the Cache Mountain fire, Sheldon Ridge fire and Biscuit-Florence-Sour fire. WHITE RIVER Started: 7/23/02, one mile east of Maupin Size: 25,000 acres Containment: 95 percent. Evacuations: mandatory evacuation of White River campground 7/24/02; Bake Oven Road and Buckhollow Road reopened, 7/27/02. Lower Deschutes River...

Lightning Ignites New Fires in Central Oregon 07/24/2002 By AP and KGW Staff Nearly 1,000 lightning strikes hit central Oregon yesterday afternoon and last night igniting several new fires across the state. Firefighters are now chasing the new wildfires, including one that has prompted the voluntary evacuation of campgrounds on Suttle and Blue lakes northwest of Sisters. Heavy lift helicopters are set to begin attacking the Cache Mountain fire this morning, said David Widmark, spokesman for the Northwest Interagency Coodination Center in Portland. Smoke billows skyward and spreads east near Summer Lake, Ore., Tuesday. (AP Photo) The Cache Mountain fire...

National Guard troops mop up Winter Fire to free experienced crews By JEFF BARNARD The Associated Press PAISLEY, Ore. (AP) -- Their cots lined up 12 inches apart, and olive drab tents tautly pitched in a grassy field, National Guard troops tossed footballs, listened to rock and roll and called home on cell phones as they waited to join the battle against forest fires burning across Oregon. Fresh from training after being called up by Gov. John Kitzhaber, 250 members of the 82nd Armored Cavalry out of Redmond were scheduled to begin mopping up hot spots and smoking stumps in...

PINE FLAT, Calif. (AP) - A ferocious wildfire fed by underbrush and weeks of dry weather roared toward a treasured grove of ancient sequoias, setting up potentially devastating scenario if flames reach the trees. The 48,200-acre blaze moved through the valleys of the Giant Sequoia National Monument and came within a few miles of the Freeman Creek Grove and Trail of 100 Giants. "If fire does get in the Trail of 100 Giants, we won't be putting firefighters in there to try to stop it. It will be a climax of 300- or 400-foot flames," said Jim Paxon, spokesman for...