[JohnA]

Respectful suggestion:

Do up a little email and tellem you expect this
to go national - that this is far more than just a
Colorado issue: 7newsinvestigates@thedenverchannel.com

Believe me, you won't be alone.

Be sure to thank them for their courage tackling the Forest
Service. USFS are in a bit of a corner now, having crapped
all over the Russians, and may be lashing out at ABC with
all they have to stifle the story.

They have turned to putting up Weakest Links, like the
rep that scratches his face and scoffaws at the suggestion
the Il-76 could have done any good in Co.

Believe me, they really, really think this is all it
will take to ditch the Il-76 as they live in a logic
bubble and as Gantebein points out, are very, very good
at propaganda: http://slate.msn.com/id/2090573

I am tired of being nice. When Churchill had a battle
with his internal people on big or medium bombers and
the row got ugly and went public he said:

"You know, in war you don't have to be nice,
you only have to be right."

The trouble with the Forest Service, is that the business
of being inadequate to the task, has been business as
usual.

Pogo said: "I have seen the enemy and he is us."

[Hat-Trick]

I grew up in Boulder County, with my father as county sheriff for 20 years, and was able to see several forest fires and the damage they cause first hand. It seems like the USFS objections to implementing successful technologies like this IL-76 are based in their unfounded fears that it will cause the size of their bureacratic empire to shrink. Our federal government can't effectively distribute free cheese (because of all the attached strings & conditions), let alone understand how to effectively prevent loss of life and property in the mountains from fire. "Were from the Federal Government, and we're here to help".

God speed to the Governor & local officials, and prayers for safety for all those brave men & women who will be on the lines this summer!