[AuntB]

By the third hour of this show, Lars had Congressman Greg Walden, Newt Gingerich and Mr. Lindamood collectively on the phone. Rep. Walden, who is on the Energy and Commerce and Resources committees has promised to get attention drawn to this situation immediately and he needs OUR encouragement. Greg.walden@mail.house.gov. , 1-800-533-3303.

You can catch Lars Larson’s remarkably informative shows on the net or across the Northwest on your radio dial. You may also link to your congress people on his web site. Besides, it’s usually a good read. WWW.LARSLARSON.COM

The gentleman with Carson Helicopters stated further that he had tried to get the local newspapers and the Oregonian interested in this story, but they didn’t have the time to hear it. He also stressed that the USFS has gone "green" and that we are supporting our own downfall by supporting the big Enviromental conglomerates. Don't be mistaken, the donation business is lucrative. Further, he noted that the media is not allowed to approach the fire areas or interview any fire fighters, pilots, etc. by order of the USFS. Noted by another source as well, bulldozers that locals have volunteered are kept from the fires until they pass USFS "inspection" and must only be 1 or 2 years old. Some have sat for days before being allowed to be used against the fire.

Our continued thanks go to Rosemary and Garth Harrington of KCMX, Medford for originally bringing this to our attention early Friday morning when no one else seemed willing to report it.

[Chad Fairbanks]

“Dip Site Manager”

Seems the feds have decided to provide more descriptive job titles to some positions... ;0)

[AuntB]

Please! Tell someone.

[NormsRevenge]

“Dip Site Manager” = Senate Majority Leader

[Slip18]

And we all wonder why forest fires aren't put out in a timely basis. Now we know why. Not only are the fire fighters up against the fire, they're up against bureaucrats, too. How sad.

[Washington-Husky]

I've often wondered why somebody in the gubmint doesn't dust off some of those mothballed bombers sitting down there in the Arizona desert, fit them with huge water/fire retardant tanks, and send them out, squadron formation, to "bomb" the hell out of any forest fire that gets to be a nuisance.

Hell, if we could launch thousand-plane bombing raids against Nazi Germany, surely we could put a couple dozen or so Strato-cruisers in round the clock "bombing" operations against a forest fire. Let it rain!

[QuestionBureaucracy]

Our entire system of government is designed to foster ineptitude. The top dogs in the agency are political hacks enjoying three or four years of the best-paid jobs they will ever have. Next down from them are the career senior executives who are selected based on being "generalist managers." See, instead of hiring competent specialists the public administration lobby decided it would be better for themselves if the top career dogs were not expected to be competent in the programs which they administer. The mid-level managers are selected based upon their willingness to hire and tolerate the appropriate racial quotas. The peons are selected based solely on demographics. The longer the fires burn the more time-and-a-half everybody (yep, from top to bottom, chair warming executives all the way down) gets. Fire season is the big pay-off and god only knows what the forest service will find to burn down once they finish off the rest of the national forests.

[Red Jones]

bump

[Husker24]

This beurocracy would have made the Soviet Union blush.

[tubebender]

Bump & Ping...

[TheGrimReaper]

I recommend that, instead of chasing distant water sources, the helicopter crews should simply start dropping USFS pin-headed bureaucrats on these fires. They're obviously so full of sh!t that the fire would be smothered in short order, the land would be fertilized for reforestation, and the federal payroll would be lightened simultaneously.

Stupid, arrogant buffoons.... and they can be found in virtually every agency of the federal govt.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Spread the word

[PatrioticAmerican]

bttt

[SW6906]

Where's the rest of the article? I've looked all over Lars' site and can't find it...

[FormerLurker]

Maybe we should all complain to who is IN CHARGE of the USFS these days....

Is this for real?

[Ken H]

In such a situation, the Governor of Oregon should order the USFS folks out and order Oregon fire fighters to get whatever water they need.

It is an emergency, life-saving issue that the USFS has no right to override.

Was the Governor aware of this while it was occuring?

If not, I'd suggest Oregon residents write to him and urge him to get involved.

[Richard Kimball]

For whatever it's worth, get ready for the spin. USFS WILL use their shills in FEMA (remember firefighters have started being federally funded now) to spin that it's those darned lumber companies and clear cutting that's causing the problem.

[Askel5]

Thanks for the post AuntB. Unbelievable.

[Mudboy Slim]

"...on the fire in Colorado, near Durango, we had 3 aircraft working along a housing development…….. The three aircraft were keeping the fire away from this sub[division]by laying down retardant. The Columbia (another company) aircraft had to leave in about 20 minutes for fuel. They called our aircraft, which had almost 2 hours of fuel remaining aboard, and told us we had to come in because it’s time for [our] 2 ½ hour rest break. Our guys said they didn’t need the break,[ they were used to flying 10 hour days every day] …….they said you come in and land or you’re going to be in violation….….you have to remember, we have to fly 15 or 20 minutes back to the heli-base, shut the aircraft down, stop the rotors and then start it back up again and fly back out…..by the time our aircraft got back out there the housing development was GONE."

SHEEEESH...we really need to get the Feds outta the business of overseeing the maintenance and upkeep of our public lands, but I see nothing but an increase in the amount of acreage under Federal control. These BureaucRATS seem utterly clueless, yet the Senate wants to make it all-but-impossible to fire incompetents and ne'er-do-wells!!

Thanks fer the bump, AuntB, and good luck out there...OpieMUD

[Hunble]

My company specializes in taking infra-red images and can produce maps of the fire within 2 hours after landing.

Nobody with the USFS would authorize us to help out during the Colorado fires, so out of frustration, we flew the mission anyway.

Like it or not, the USFS loved our ability to locate the fires with accuracy and we made a difference. The people on the ground absolutly loved our data.

Now get this! We provide the data and not the airplanes for other usage. Our aircraft fly at 10,000 feet above the fires and do not present a problem with other essential aircraft. But according to USFS regulation, our airplanes must comply to their regulations for carrying passengers.

Unfortunatly, the USFS has strict rules about aircraft that are used for fighting the fires and they used those rules to prevent us from help out.

Hopefully, by next year, we can finally be approved by their imspectors.

Oh well, homes will be lost and thousands of miles of our forests will be sacrificed this year.

We did everything in our power to help out this year, but it was nothing but a wasted effort.

[dennisw]

bttttttttttttttt