Timber Industry Uses Fire to Push Logging
If you live just about anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, you're dealing with some of the worst air quality ever seen. Right now, areas from Washington to northern California are really feeling it. You or someone you know may even be dealing with an evacuation order. To say the least, this has been hard on firefighting personnel, on communities, and on land managers and families, and my heart goes out to everyone impacted.
How did we get here? The science is clear that logging big, fire-resilient trees in old-growth forests increases fire hazards. At the same time, thinning dense forests, especially near communities, can reduce fire hazards, save homes, and give firefighters a leg up.
Despite this, the timber lobby and the politicians who benefit from their support are using these trying times to push their dearest special interest by opening up our public lands to old-growth logging. For all the ink that's been spilled on the issue, here is what the industry will never say: Fire always has been a part of the western forest landscape, but climate change is making the situation worse. As the climate changes, it dries out our forests and extends the fire season.
We know that there are many steps we can take to make this situation much better, and there are also steps we can take to make it a whole lot worse. KS Wild strongly supports fuel reduction projects, especially around communities. We need to stop logging projects that would clear-cut ancient forests and make fire more dangerous for all of us.
For the health and safety of our communities, let's work toward the common ground we share. Let's promote more forest thinning around communities and save our old-growth forests.