Dan's Outside

2003.04.22

***Bogus logging debate
– “Bosworth said the fire threat from excessive fuel loads must be considered the paramount danger facing the nation’s forests. He also cited three other major threats: habitat fragmentation, unmanaged recreation and invasive species.” [SFGate]

The administration insists that those concerned about global warming are off-base because there is “no scientific proof” of this problem – but it wants to save the forests from forest fires by logging, despite plenty of evidence that the problems that do exist (overstated by the administration’s logging interests) are due to long-standing policies of overly-agressive fire prevention. This has led to an oversupply of combustible materials in the forest. The answer is to expand the policy of managing wild fires rather than just putting them out. It is obvious to anyone that fire has an important role in sustaining the health of forest ecosystems – and logging doesn’t.

To give him his due, the other three issue he cites (habitat fragmentation, unmanaged recreation, and invasive species) are definitely significant.
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April 22, 2003 - Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary