The summer season is drawing to a close and as we reflect upon the months that defined it, many of us will long remember it for the destruction resulting from our state's historic forest fires. This season, New Mexico's Little Bear and Whitewater-Baldy fires claimed nearly a half-million acres, thousands of acres of wildlife habitat and nearly 300 homes and businesses...
As I have stated previously, my concerns are with Washington policies and not with our brave firefighters. Decades-long mismanagement of our federal lands has allowed the fuels to build into what we see today and explode into the raging blazes that we witnessed this summer.
Progress into changing these long-established failed policies has been made. Just recently, on Aug. 7, Joe Walsh, Washington spokesman for the US Forest Service, stated that the agency would "more aggressively extinguish small fires before they become larger ones." (Los Angeles Times) This is the correct mindset that Americans need.
In another shift, on Aug. 16, Tom Harbor, director of Fire and Aviation Management for the US Forest Service, said that it was changing policy and would begin allowing helicopters to attack wildfires at night in southern California. (Washington Post)
However, here in New Mexico, in the Aug. 8 issue of the Ruidoso News, the chief ranger of the Lincoln National Forest's Smokey Bear Ranger District said he "would do nothing different." It is extremely concerning to hear that locally, the Forest Service demonstrates no concern with existing policies. Policies that very likely allowed for the destruction of our local communities, impacting families, businesses, and public health.
It is my intention to see that the Forest Service re-evaluates its policies and implements basic changes that can better improve prevention of these large, out-of-control fires in the future. Nothing sweeping. Nothing radical. Just commonsense, such as, thinning areas that are overgrown, establishing safety zones around at-risk communities and aggressively/immediately putting out fires in these areas. We all, especially our federal land managers, must be open-minded to make our rural and urban areas safe.
1 comment:
Many thanks to Rep. Pearce for helping his constituents get the 250,000 acre Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument designated under the Antiquities Act. His CLUMSY, UNREASONABLE ATTEMPTS to block wilderness designation for the Organ Mountains gave the President a virtual open window to preserve this fragile desert landscape FOR ALL TIME. As far as the environmentalists are concerned, with bumbling enemies like this one, who needs friends?
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