Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Study: ‘Intense’ forest thinning best way to ease future wildfires [Captain Obvious story]
SIERRA VISTA Herald/Review ^ | CASSONDRA STRANDE

Posted on 08/29/2011 3:57:54 PM PDT by SandRat

t may have taken the largest wildfire in Arizona history, but for the first time in decades, environmentalists and government officials agree on a key element of future forest management.

The U.S. Forest Service said in a report this month that “intense thinning treatments” can ease future wildfires, by removing trees between six and 18 inches in diameter to allow for additional space between trees.

“Everyone agrees that a lot of the dry forest types need to be treated in terms of removing the vegetation,” said Morris Johnson, a research ecologist with the Forest Service and co-author of the report.

Intense thinning, according to the report, is reducing stands to leave 50 to 100 trees per acre. The study provides scientific grounds for continuing the practice of thinning heavily forested areas, showing that “the model and the reality match,” said Shaula Hedwall of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

(Excerpt) Read more at svherald.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; US: Arizona
KEYWORDS: agree; environmentalists; forestfire; forestthinning; study
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-67 next last

1 posted on 08/29/2011 3:58:00 PM PDT by SandRat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SandRat

Since when have the environazis caught up with common sense? My head may explode!


2 posted on 08/29/2011 4:01:26 PM PDT by upchuck (Rerun: Think you know hardship? Wait till the dollar is no longer the world's reserve currency.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SandRat

3 posted on 08/29/2011 4:07:23 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty - Honor - Country! What else needs said?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SandRat

Forest fires ARE “intense forest thinning”.


4 posted on 08/29/2011 4:11:50 PM PDT by Williams (Honey Badger Don't Care)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SandRat; forester; george76; Carry_Okie; Grampa Dave; tubebender; hedgetrimmer; BOBTHENAILER; ...
Well... whataya know about dat???

If EnvironMentalism is a religion, then forest thinning must be weeding out the sinners so everyone involved can be come sanctified by good stewardship!!!

EnvironMentalism is ruining the shakey concept of "separation of church and state" by merging with leftists infatuated with GovernMentalism!!!

5 posted on 08/29/2011 4:12:09 PM PDT by SierraWasp (I'm done being disappointed by "He/She is the only one who can win" and being embarrassed later!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SandRat

Put cattle back in the forest and the problem will take csre of itself. They will keep the underbrush and weeds cleaned up, the Forest Service will make money off of it and the economy will benefit.

The liberal/environazi solution will be for the USFS to hire companies at prohibitive prices to go in there and clear-I know because they already do.


6 posted on 08/29/2011 4:15:28 PM PDT by tiki
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: upchuck

There’s not an awful lot I admire about modern Europeans. But they are very good about managing their forests. I served in Germany in the 60s as a signal officer. Spent much time in German forests. Very little debris and undergrowth. Dead trees and vegetation are removed promptly. Some of it even finds its way into lumber yards because the trees have not had an opportunity to decay. My son lived in Switzerland for about five years. Very clean forests.

It is, after all, common sense. Remove the material that feeds forest fires and there won’t be forest fires. I’ve never understood why Americans have difficulty with that very simple concept. In recent years Envirowachos certainly have played their usual destructive part. But we ignored our forests long before they came along.


7 posted on 08/29/2011 4:18:45 PM PDT by dools0007world (uestion)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SandRat

Hey, shovel ready jobs!
Then too the administration can sell the lumber
to china to cover our debt,
the chinese people get chopsticks,
the jobless get hired into a healthy enviroment
Obama gets the credit, everyone’s a winner.


8 posted on 08/29/2011 4:22:03 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SandRat

Ilived in Germany in63 as a 6 year old and I recall how immaculate and “clean” their forests were.

Sounds like we are just now figuring it out


9 posted on 08/29/2011 4:24:13 PM PDT by winodog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tet68

An un-managed forest is as dangerous a place to live near as an untamed river.


10 posted on 08/29/2011 4:25:40 PM PDT by Repeal The 17th (Proud to be a (little bit bigger) monthly donor.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: dools0007world

Do they have millions of acres of forest in inacessable wilderness in Germany.


11 posted on 08/29/2011 4:28:19 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono (My greatest fear is that when I'm gone my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Inyo-Mono

The other way to manage forestland to control fire... is to run fire through it about every other year or so.


12 posted on 08/29/2011 4:32:54 PM PDT by Oberon (Big Brutha Be Watchin'.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Inyo-Mono

The other way to manage forestland to control fire... is to run fire through it about every other year or so.


13 posted on 08/29/2011 4:33:07 PM PDT by Oberon (Big Brutha Be Watchin'.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: winodog

Ilived in Germany in63 as a 6 year old and I recall how immaculate and “clean” their forests were.

Sounds like we are just now figuring it out
+++++++++++++++
Is this really practical? There are millions of acres of forest in this country. I’m thinking that maybe Mother Nature can handle this problem better than we can.

BTW, didn’t they try this idea out in Yellowstone a few years back with less than stellar results.


14 posted on 08/29/2011 4:33:07 PM PDT by InterceptPoint (w)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: upchuck

Well hot dang! even a blind mouse finds a piece of cheese every now and then it seems!

I can’t believe these idiots are finally admitting this is what needs to be done! Will they appologize to Bush? naaa.


15 posted on 08/29/2011 4:34:41 PM PDT by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama = Epic Fail)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SandRat
Or clear cutting works... All those forests in WA have been clear cut several times, with few wildfires... except where the enviros have stepped in and “accidentally” allowed their campfires to catch nearby brush, thereby driving local community's property values down, while instituting new regulation designed to sound good but forcing the locals out in order for said enviros to pick up the land for their own use cheap.
16 posted on 08/29/2011 4:40:35 PM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tet68
. . . everyone’s a winner.

Even Cheryl Crow, who could now use 2 squares of toilet paper!

17 posted on 08/29/2011 4:41:22 PM PDT by Fester Chugabrew (minds change)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: InterceptPoint

Good point and I may be wrong, after all I was 6 years old. It just seems to me that we dont even manage the small acres correctly, and we are just coming around to a better management system


18 posted on 08/29/2011 4:44:35 PM PDT by winodog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Inyo-Mono

Part of the reason it’s unaccessible here is that
enviros don’t want to see roads built to enable
it to be cleared.


19 posted on 08/29/2011 4:45:14 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: SandRat; SierraWasp
but for the first time in decades, environmentalists and

Which one of the 8,497 enviroMental organizations are they referring to???

20 posted on 08/29/2011 4:47:20 PM PDT by tubebender
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-67 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson