Editorial: McClintock complicating Rim Fire recovery
Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the Jan. 12, 2013, Sacramento Bee.
Gateway communities to Yosemite National Park suffered a triple-whammy in 2013 – the Rim Fire, the 16-day government shutdown and another winter with little snow. How this national treasure recovers from the 257,000-acre fire that swept through the Stanislaus National Forest, Yosemite National Park and private timberland from Aug. 17 until the end of September matters a lot, not just for the Sierra but for other wildlands that might be hit by fire.
The U.S. Forest Service has done a good job of bringing people together and working collaboratively. Existing laws that require public comment have garnered useful information and will make the recovery better. Thousands of people have weighed in. Still, the Forest Service has an extremely difficult task reaching consensus among competing interests in a way that avoids litigation.
Unfortunately, Rep. Tom McClintock, the Elk Grove Republican who represents Yosemite and the area scorched by the fire, seems determined to drive a political wedge, rather than forge agreement. He has called for immediate salvage logging that would be exempt from federal environmental laws, public comment and court review on the entire 257,000-acre burn area, including in Yosemite National Park.
What a jerk. Maybe some letters to Senators Feinstein & Boxer would slow him down. Both are staunch environmentalists and advocates for parklands.
Gee, the rabid leftists at the Bee attacking a conservative is sooo shocking. Please remember the 500,000 trees left to rot after the Angora fire, except for a few salvaged at no cost by Sierra Pacific, which saved ELDO about a million dollars.
Thanks Norma for you common sense.
Please vote this political creep out of office. We will take him to court to stop the destruction he is supporting, thats for sure. That will give dog and cj something to ***** about
read carefully the key is right there in the article.
“Still, the Forest Service has an extremely difficult task reaching consensus among competing interests in a way that avoids litigation.”
His reason to push past the laws is to get this thing done. Lawsuits will arise and by the time they are settled the wood will not be good to harvest due to insect investation.
Just slow down half a beat and think. It’s not as black and white enviro/anti enviro as you suppose.
He wants to log the trees, and there are those who NEVER want trees logged under the best of circumstances, henceforth the litagation threat is very real.
Our own Angora fire proved this to be true. Logging of the matchsticks was put off by lawsuits. After Lahanton and others approved their removal, it still went to court. Lumber was lost.
Contrary to appearances, burned forests are among the most biologically diverse. Certain species seek out burned forests to feed and breed and move from one burned area to the next. Too many land use decisions are made on old thinking which is just that, old thinking. Scientists are now learning which land use decisions are best for the environment and which are destructive. Its time to make science based decisions rather than revert to the old ways simply because that’s the way its always been done. Many people poo-poo science but that says more about the people than it does about science.
McClintock doesn’t care about the environment or the population that depends on them and live among them. It is moneyed interests that appeal to him…..if not logging profited more than logging, then that’s what he would back.
McClintock is so ignorant. Sure, let taxpayers pay for building roads to the dead trees so that mills (perhaps not even in California) might be able to cut wood for another year and a half? Subsidized make work program.
Heck! Congress only worked 113 days/16 weeks last year while everybody else had to work 37 weeks. If Tom wants to save money, he should give back is $200k salary and benefits that he “gets” for doing NOTHING.