This is actually what the logging industry and its friends in the government have been proposing. The so-called “healthy forests act” authorizes logging companies to chop down trees as a means of preventing fires. Yep, no trees, no forest fires…
confirmed some time ago. the USA is the only country on the planet that ended the 20th century with more trees and forest land than there was at the beginning of the century.
They tell you; “you cannot clear the brush from around your house because of an endangerd ra”t… A forest fire burns down your home… “your tough luck”. If you had cleared the brush a little, you and the rat would still have a place to stay. Can you say STUPID!
Anybody remember the Weyerhauser fire of the 80s. Lightning starts a fire in the Oregon Wilderness. Since the fire started in a designated wilderness area, the policy was to let it burn. When the fire left the wilderness area, it was an unstoppable crown fire. The fire raced through the National Forest and came to land that was being managed by Weyerhauser. The crown fire literally went around that stretch of land. Now the fire did burn through the Weyerhauser land, but it only got the underbrush and a few seedlings, because the mature trees were so far apart that the fire couldn’t spread from crown to crown, and the underbrush didn’t burn with enough intensity to ignite the 2-5 year old trees. What does that say about Forest Management?
Well, considering those “forests” of today are mostly trees UNDER 10 inches DBH and prior to WW II they were cutting trees from 10 – 20 FEET DBH, it isn’t the same “forest”. The timber industry fought the use of prescribed fire for decades, and clear cut to their hearts content, making the situation WORSE.
The ‘toon looks like the “James Watt National Forest”, and industry has controlled F.S. management for a long time. There is NO WAY sustained yield has been SOP since the 1940’s. If you cut a 10 foot dbh tree, you don’t cut again until you have a 10 footer, they’re now cutting 10 inch Doug fir grown on plantations like corn fields. It’s bad forestry.
Prescribed fire is good. Thinning forests is good. Clear cutting in lodgepole or loblolly is good, but clear cutting in ponderosa or Douglas fir is a disaster we spent a century creating. Replacement forestry is NOT happening in our forests, and losses due to climate change, yes, human caused, has put most forests in danger, species change is not necessarily a good thing.
rayannina almost 13 years ago
Well, they won’t run out of firewood, that’s for sure.
Varnes almost 13 years ago
Well, he couldn’t see the forest because of all the trees….
pouncingtiger almost 13 years ago
They like Phil because “he’s a lumberjack and he’s OK.”
puddleglum1066 almost 13 years ago
This is actually what the logging industry and its friends in the government have been proposing. The so-called “healthy forests act” authorizes logging companies to chop down trees as a means of preventing fires. Yep, no trees, no forest fires…
Brockie almost 13 years ago
Richard….incisive comment.He came, he SAW, he conquered.
wicky almost 13 years ago
Just a tad of an overkill.
Olfarto almost 13 years ago
You can prevent forest fires… by preventing forests.
gjsjr41 almost 13 years ago
I “wood” rather have the trees.
EarlWash almost 13 years ago
If the harvesters were allowed to clean out the underbrush and debris, there wouldn’t be nearly so many forest fires.
tripwire45 almost 13 years ago
Just because a person’s conservative doesn’t mean they automatically believe in clear-cutting. ;-)
toofunny52 almost 13 years ago
Guys…sigh
dfowensby almost 13 years ago
confirmed some time ago. the USA is the only country on the planet that ended the 20th century with more trees and forest land than there was at the beginning of the century.
toofunny52 almost 13 years ago
yeah the lumber industry is just great….totally green. Not.
hitman4cookies almost 13 years ago
he’s a lumberjack and he’s ok…
momazilla almost 13 years ago
They tell you; “you cannot clear the brush from around your house because of an endangerd ra”t… A forest fire burns down your home… “your tough luck”. If you had cleared the brush a little, you and the rat would still have a place to stay. Can you say STUPID!
falcon_370f almost 13 years ago
Anybody remember the Weyerhauser fire of the 80s. Lightning starts a fire in the Oregon Wilderness. Since the fire started in a designated wilderness area, the policy was to let it burn. When the fire left the wilderness area, it was an unstoppable crown fire. The fire raced through the National Forest and came to land that was being managed by Weyerhauser. The crown fire literally went around that stretch of land. Now the fire did burn through the Weyerhauser land, but it only got the underbrush and a few seedlings, because the mature trees were so far apart that the fire couldn’t spread from crown to crown, and the underbrush didn’t burn with enough intensity to ignite the 2-5 year old trees. What does that say about Forest Management?
Theeoriginalbaba almost 13 years ago
just know when to say when !
Dtroutma almost 13 years ago
Well, considering those “forests” of today are mostly trees UNDER 10 inches DBH and prior to WW II they were cutting trees from 10 – 20 FEET DBH, it isn’t the same “forest”. The timber industry fought the use of prescribed fire for decades, and clear cut to their hearts content, making the situation WORSE.
The ‘toon looks like the “James Watt National Forest”, and industry has controlled F.S. management for a long time. There is NO WAY sustained yield has been SOP since the 1940’s. If you cut a 10 foot dbh tree, you don’t cut again until you have a 10 footer, they’re now cutting 10 inch Doug fir grown on plantations like corn fields. It’s bad forestry.
Prescribed fire is good. Thinning forests is good. Clear cutting in lodgepole or loblolly is good, but clear cutting in ponderosa or Douglas fir is a disaster we spent a century creating. Replacement forestry is NOT happening in our forests, and losses due to climate change, yes, human caused, has put most forests in danger, species change is not necessarily a good thing.
captainedd almost 13 years ago
Read on a bumper sticker:“If you oppose logging, try using plastic toilet paper.”