Posted on 09/07/2006 10:33:16 AM PDT by george76
The fight to reduce fire hazards associated with beetle-killed lodgepole pines may have gained a little traction this week, as U.S. Department of Agriculture officials announced a $1 million funding boost for the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S. Forest Service, covering Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota.
Republican Sen. Wayne Allard announced the funding Sept. 5, shortly after top administration officials flew over some of the hardest hit areas in Eagle, Summit and Grand counties to view the insect infestation first-hand.
“I am pleased that the administration has responded to my repeated requests for additional funding,” said Allard, who wrote President Bush in June to ask for more money.
“Today’s announcement is welcome news to numerous Colorado communities that are facing a Katrina-like disaster from the scourge of bark beetles.”
(Excerpt) Read more at summitdaily.com ...
Read last year they did a real job on the trees up in Canada, guess they cut most of them down. Seem to recall the Beatles render the lumber useless after they've done their damage.
Canada is now under attack from the bark beetles.
The lumber is useful if harvested promptly.
If the clever Sierra Club lawyers find weak, emotional judges, the process can be delayed for years. Then the economic value of the wood is impacted.
If the Sierra Club lawyers would allow prompt action, then the forest could be cleaned up for free. Now the forest fires will cost the taxpayer alot of money.
Plus massive fires pollute the air, the water, and the soil.
My family has a house on 2.5 acres in a beetle area, it's cost us thousands in tree removal. The lumberjack boss claims the Feds, fearing environmentalist wrath, stopped clearing out beetlekill on Federal land, where the vermin incubated until the drought.
The feds also fear the Sierra Club lawyers, so they often do nothing but wait for the trees to die, then burn.
Sad.
Sorry about your own trees.
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