Farmer, author of viral post, blasts federal government over Soda Fire

The author of a viral Facebook post criticizing the federal government for its land management practices blasted the Bureau of Land Management in an interview Tuesday. Alan Davis, owner and operator of Greybell Farms near Marsing, scorched federal officials for their failure to manage Idaho lands properly, which he said contributed to the Soda Fire’s massive size. “We have a bunch of people making decisions on wildlife, habitat, grazing and land management, and they have no practical experience,” Davis said. “They have no clue how the world really works.” Davis’ comments came as firefighters worked vigorously to fully contain the massive blaze, the nation’s largest this year. The fire burned more than 283,000 acres and the federal government lists the blaze as 95 percent contained. Nearly 900 firefighters, aided by helicopters, air support, bulldozers and water trucks, fought the catastrophic fire. It didn’t have to be this bad, Davis suggested. “If Bureau of Land Management is not going to take an active management role … then they need to get the heck out of the way and let ranchers or somebody take care of the land,” he said. He criticized federal officials for letting fuel loads, or burnable material, pile up. “If you leave this land alone, the Russian thistle is going to take over,” he said. “When it continues to compound year after year, it stays standing up until something eats it or burns.” Davis, using the Greybell Farms Facebook page, complained about federal mismanagement in a post that has since gone somewhat viral. “Tell your college kid wizards of smart to get out from behind their desks and come out to get some practical education from the men and women who live here,” Davis railed in the post, shared more than 1,800 times on Facebook. Davis is one of the lucky ones, if anyone involved could be so described. The Soda Fire came within two miles of Davis’ small swine operation. He said a friend, a rancher, suffered greatly. “He was hoping he’d only lost half his herd of cattle,” Davis said. He’s not the only party complaining, though. The Idaho Cattle Association blasted federal shortcomings in its own Facebook post last week. “These fires are largely a result of the federal government’s management framework,” the group said. “We will never be able to stop all wildfires, but we can curb catastrophic fires in the future through grazing.” That post, shared 763 times, described what the association identifies as a core problem in land management. “In times of drought, ranchers are asked to reduce grazing herds, but that flexibility does not exist when a wet spring creates late summer fuels,” the association wrote. “In those circumstances ranchers are not asked to increase grazing herds to utilize excess fuels.”...more