Think the eco-fascists in CA, who absolutely will not tolerate any logging or even thinning, are happy now?

Question

Many of the forests in CA are virtually dog-hair thickets because of decades of fire suppression, and in recent years because the eco-fascists block every attempt by the Forest Service to do any thinning or to create fuel breaks so that they have a chance to stop a wildfire. As it is now these fires are crown fires that are virtually unstoppable. Fires like this have been predicted for a long time, but the enviro-wackos are smarter than everybody else.. Now they are happening. The old saying: "log 'em green or log 'em black" has never been more true. Looks like they're gonna log 'em black.

Answer 1

While I am against the 'omg saves ALL the trees we don't need to build stuffs lol' ideaology, this isn't their fault. First of all, forests are supposed to burn, it thins the forest and is basically a 'reset' button for the ecology.

Second, stuff like this happens no matter what you do, if it's not a forest fire it's a fire that engulfs the whole city *cough cough* Chicago.

While I'm not a big 'hippie' fan, don't go pinning forest fires on them, it's not their fault.

Answer 2

The problem is that most of them are living in the middle of concrete jungles, not out of town.  They will never have to worry about a forest fire, so they don't mind making decisions for all of you who do.

Answer 3

Actually, it IS partially the eco-freaks fault.

The "no-burn" policy has been around for most of the 20th century.

The last serious time the "let it burn" policy was tried, it was primarily the environmentalists who killed it!  That was around the late 1980's, just after a couple mega fires burned in very visible places (Yellowstone comes to mind).

Example:

I look at the hill behind my house, 2.5 acres of dry grass, oak, bay, and assorted bushes.  It hasn't been cleared or thinned properly in 20 years.  If those trees go, so do all the neighbors homes east of me.  We had 2 close calls last season (arson).

My deeds tell me I'm responsible for maintaining the land (I've an easement), but I've restrictions.  I can't materially modify the vegetation!

I've tried to start the clean-up but:

1) I've a neighbor who calls the city every time I fire up the chain saw.  Tells them I'm chopping down "heritage trees"

2) A big chunk is a "private open space easement".  She thinks it's hers (only about 1/5 is hers, the rest mine).

3) The city won't let me do major work without an Arborist (about $3000) to tell me what I can do.

4)  Any major cutting requires a permit (about $20K worth on that hill).

5) Then I can start spending the real money on chipping and hauling.

Answer 4

Lots of name calling there.  Are you calling the shots from the sidelines or are you involved in working in the field?

A lot of armchair quarterbacks on this one. Very few truly understand the dynamics of wildfire in a global climate change world.  Am I a fascist?  I don't think you know what one is, enough to attach "eco" to it as is so popular on this site.  Am I wacko?  Well, I'm actively involved, more educated than most on this issue, and is that makes me "smarter," so be it.

What's happening right now is a tragedy on many fronts.  Why don't you do something besides bellyaching on Yahoo?

Answer 5

I suspect that they are about as happy as the people who have their heads in the sand about climate change, which is as responsible as anything for the drought.

Answer 6

Yes, they stay pretty happy, as long as it's somebody elses house that is burning down.  And of course now they have a new "cause" to take to an activist judge:  to prevent the burnt trees (which are perfectly good on the inside) from being salvaged.  This is their standard strategy, and no doubt they will do it again.   They are content to let all this salvagable timber stand until it rots and falls over, because the woodpeckers like these trees.  I can see from my house an area where they did exactly this.  All this timber is now falling over, and of no use to anyone or anything, not even the woodpeckers.