Battle over newly burned timber begins

The Bulletin ^ | 11 August, 2002 | Rachel Odell

[lobo59]

As firefighters battle wildfires throughout Oregon, another war is smoldering over what will become of the burned trees.

Environmentalists have been pressuring the U.S. Forest Service to commit to keeping the burned areas off limits to cutting.

Timber industry representatives want the agency to offer logging sales ? known as post-fire salvage sales ? in areas that burned. They say that will underscore the Forest Service's commitment to continuing to harvest trees and extract economic value from forest products.

[lobo59]

The salvage should begin today. Then we can sort it all out when the federal paralysis of analysis is done we will know that it was the proper course of action. Our jobs, economic well being and use of natural resourses is too important to be given over to the anti business nazis who want to destroy the rural dwellers of our nation.

A new fire just started and is at 3 acres on the western outskirts of Bend. Pilot Butte is a large parking lot as folks go up to view the action in the action on the other side of town.

[dennisw]

Problem is that otherwise unemployable enviro-wackos have wormed their way into so many jobs in the US Forestry Service. These nutters are calling the shots. Many hold jobs way up the food chain where policy is made.

[RicocheT]

Agree, salvage logging should promptly start to get something good out of this disaster - a disaster in part caused by the environmentalists' past obstruction to managed resource extraction and fire road building.

[AAABEST]

Ping for my cyber grand dad.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

fyi

[razorback-bert]

I think Central Park should be roadless wilderess myself.

[Bubba_Leroy]

I think Central Park should be roadless wilderess myself.

Amen. I've always thought that the liberals would be a whole lot less gung ho about the environmental wackos if the same rules that are being applied in the Western states were applied in the Northeast.

If only someone would identify a rare and endangered species of cockroach living in New York City. The Endangered Species Act would be abolished the next day.

[Red Jones]

bump

[OldFriend]

I am certain I saw Bruce Babbitt defending his ridiculous environmental policies on TV not so long ago. He insisted that the fires only burn the brush, that the trees survive. AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH

[toddst]

. . . salvage logging should promptly start to get something good out of this disaster - a disaster in part caused by the environmentalists' past obstruction to managed resource extraction and fire road building.

From what I've seen the enviro-wackos caused the fires being so totally destructive. Absolutely the timber sale should be expedited.

[Mamzelle]

LOTR Geek alert--Would that the Ents could do their thing to the enviro-nutsos. Hastily, even.

These logs are often used for making log homes. If they stay on the ground, they'll just be fuel for another fire!

[razorback-bert]

They are squealing, see the story about wind farms on Cape Cod.

[yoswif]

Dry, dead trees burn a lot hotter than live green trees. If another fire starts in these burns, these dead trees will burn so hot that nothing but brush will grow in these areas for several hundred years. The dirt gets so hot it turns to powder and the slightest wind or rainfall blows and washes away the the topsoil down to the rock base. There are vast areas in the central Idaho Wilderness (like the Little Queens River drainage) where nothing but brush has grown for centuries because of devastating fires.

Anyone who interferes with the immediate removal of these dangerous fuels should have to file an environmental impact statement showing there is no danger of a topsoil destroying fire if these dry, dead trees catch fire again. Local governments should authorize the immediate harvest of these trees for the safety of the community and the protection of the local environment and require an environmental impact statement from any judge, politician, bureaucrat or special interest group who tries to interfere with their efforts to protect their community and the local environment from devasting, ground killing fires. Of course, this assumes the local government cares about protecting the local community and the local environment from devastating, ground killing fires.

[garden variety]

>These logs are often used for making log homes. If they stay on the ground, they'll just be fuel for another fire!

Yup. A couple of years ago there was a fire on BLM land not too far from where I live here in Oregon. The dead trees are still there. Many of them still standing. Now the BLM has gated off a road that goes through there. Next to the locked gate is a big nasty sign which reads in part: No public access. Extreme fire hazard due to the Austra fire. Violators will be subject to a $1,000.00 fine and/ or one year in jail. Eugene District BLM.

This is outrageous! I'll bet that gate is permanent. Just one more excuse to keep us off of our public land.

[Salvation]

You might want to ping your list to this.

[garden variety]

You are 100% correct.

[henderson field]

Pardon my ignorance, but why would anyone oppose salvaging the burnt wood? I just drove through Glenwood Springs tonight and there's a ton of it. Why waste a resource? It's my wood and I want someone to benefit from it - I can't cut it and use it myself.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks, this was predictable.

These miserable/rotten tree hugging Oregonian al Qaeda Green Nazis, don't want a single board foot taken from our forests even from dead trees.

Oregon has the highest unemployment rate in the nation due to their Green Poster Boy Governor and the illegal power that the Green Nazis exert over those who live in Oregon.

The cleanup of these forests by logging dead and dying trees can be done by the private sector without costing us any tax dollars. Thousands of jobs would be provided from logging to hauling to actual conversion of the dead trees into a useable product made from dead trees.


These watermelons, green on the outside and so red communist on the inside eco freaks will not allow this to happen.

It is time to stop them from destroying lives and the economy of Oregon. It is time that they start facing a legal controlling authority. No one elected them nor did we give this illegal power to these SOB's.

[GretchenEE]

Der Greenmeisters have redefined wacked out.