Guest editorial: Can we save the forests?
By CLARICE RYAN
The Sequoia Forests contain within them the oldest, most magnificent living things on earth. Massive, stately trees have withstood ravages of time and nature since before Christ. But sadly, they cannot survive hazardous conditions created by human ignorance, indifference and ineptitude. Resulting present-day catastrophic fires burn with such intense heat that even the redwoods cannot survive. California is suffering the same massive forest fires as in Montana and throughout the Northwest. Well intentioned people mouth the words, save the “old growth,” while they create fire-prone conditions that threaten entire forests including old growth and the most “ancient” of trees.
Management by neglect has been Forest Service policy for too long. Loggers were able to perform selective tree removal leaving a variety of ages, sizes and species to provide healthy, well-balanced forests. Without timber harvest, forests became overgrown and starving for nutrients and water. Weakened trees became bug-infested, dead, dying and fire-prone with resulting fuels build-up. Huge escalation of fire fighting budgets leave little for fire prevention or forest restoration. Top level Forest Service management administered the phase-out of logging while assuring citizens that recreation and tourism would replace the timber industry. However, hikers, campers, horseback riders, and hunting and fishing have proven incapable of financing forest maintenance, fuels reduction and Forest Service agency operation.
Out of funds, we now find recreationists having to pay fee charges for enjoyment of our public lands, with the alternative being the close-down of recreation facilities and complete human access, even for forest maintenance. “Let it burn” policy reigns with prescribed burns to reduce fuel loads frequently expanding to full-fledged, out-of-control forest fires. Millions of acres are targeted for “back to nature” wilderness and wildlands.
So where does that leave the redwoods? More vulnerable, more threatened than ever due to increasing fuel build-up. They are in the line of fire. In past decades low intensity ground fires effectively cleared the forests of underbrush and excess tree growth. These were far different from the raging, high-heat fires now roaring through the millions of acres of dead kindling that our forests have become. These fires are essentially “clear-cutting” by burning while consuming everything in the path, including wildlife, all in the name of “saving” it.
The worst possible thing to do now is to install gates, close trails, remove recreation facilities, and declare 192 million acres of forest service land off-limits to people. The problem has been created. Closing eyes and minds to it is not the way to address it.
Forests are capable of financing their own hospitalization and recovery if only allowed to do so. Taxpayers simply cannot pay the bills. They can neither financially bail out the forests nor the Forest Service. The woody material that is consuming the forests, should be removed as quickly as possible and be put to productive use AT A PROFIT. Private enterprise must become re-involved, but must be assured of long term access to forest product to protect the required investment in infra-structure to do the job. Biomass operations can generate electricity and heat for manufacturing processes. Mills must be rebuilt to replace those destroyed during the timber industry purge. The economy can be revived, forest health restored, wild life returned, and the environment restored. But government, depending upon taxes for its existence, is simply unable to accomplish all of this on the backs of tax-payers. PROFIT motivation, efficiency and results accountability must again be provided the key essentials to success: long term governmental policy stability to protect financial investment and assure resource availability.
A treasure of the ancient past, Biblical Babylon now known as Baghdad, has been ruthlessly destroyed by war. Ignorance, indifference and ineptitude can also lead to the destruction of the oldest living things on earth. By changing our ways, the historic “old growth” Sequoias can hopefully be preserved. All that is necessary is greatly improved, comprehensive governmental policy and reintroduction of private enterprise functioning in a conscientious, environmentally sound manner. Public awareness and action is needed to save and enjoy our forests both in the present and in the future.
Clarice Ryan