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California Will Now Fight Wildfires … by Trimming Back Forests

California Will Now Fight Wildfires … by Trimming Back Forests

File this item under: “Trump was right. Again”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zXQuDjwbFAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zXQuDjwbFA

Longtime Legal Insurrection fans may recall that in 2019, after a spate of wildfires in California, President Donald Trump remarked on Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state’s eco-activist leadership.

“The Governor of California, @GavinNewsom, has done a terrible job of forest management. I told him from the first day we met that he must ‘clean’ his forest floors regardless of what his bosses, the environmentalists, DEMAND of him. Must also do burns and cut fire stoppers…..” Trump tweeted.

“Every year, as the fire’s rage & California burns, it is the same thing-and then he comes to the Federal Government for $$$ help. No more,” the tweet continues. “Get your act together Governor. You don’t see close to the level of burn in other states.

And while Trump is notoriously acerbic, he is also often accurate. California is already having a fiery start to what looks like a toasty wildfire season.

As California sinks deeper into drought it already has had more than 900 additional wildfires than at this point in 2020, which was a record-breaking year that saw more than 4% of the state’s land scorched by flames.

…California’s mountains and foothills are expected to see above-normal wildfire potential from June through August and possibly into the fall, which is the usual peak fire season, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center and the Southwest Coordination Center.

While some parts of the Southwest saw cool and moist conditions over the past month, that wasn’t the case in California. said Chuck Maxwell, a meteorologist and predictive services manager with the Southwest Coordination Center in Albuquerque. About 94% of California has drought conditions ranging from moderate to exceptional, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor that measures conditions.

In a surprise move, California’s politicos are now following Trump’s advice. California is now directing $500 million dollars on forest management to reduce the risk of fires after a devastating wildfire season.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Thursday announced a deal with state legislature leadership to draw down $536 million to kick off projects to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season. The new plan is in budget legislation Newsom said will be considered by lawmakers as early as Monday and signed by Tuesday.

“The hots are getting hotter, the dries are getting drier, there’s a new reality. You don’t believe in climate change? You don’t believe in science? You believe your own damn eyes,” Newsom said during a news conference with the state’s senate and assembly leaders Thursday.

“Something is happening as it relates to the issue of climate and that’s exacerbating conditions and making the challenge of wildfire suppression and prevention that much more ominous,” the governor said.

The funds will be used to increase efforts to thin forests, build fuel breaks around vulnerable communities and invest in infrastructure hardening to protect structures.

I will note that the timing is quite convenient for Newsom. The recall election is likely to occur at the height of the state’s wildfire season. No matter how ardent their eco-activism might be, voters are unlikely to continue supporting Newsom’s “green” policies as their homes, businesses, and neighborhoods are charred.

File this item under: “Trump was right. Again.”

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Comments

Newsom (or any other lefty), “Curses! I really hate it when the only thing left to follow is common sense.”

stevewhitemd | June 20, 2021 at 8:20 pm

Better late than never. Newsom’s noggin apparently isn’t quite as thick as I had estimated.

Colonel Travis | June 20, 2021 at 8:38 pm

I like how “You believe your own damn eyes” works for forest fires but not locking down the state vs, oh I don’t know, Florida?

amatuerwrangler | June 20, 2021 at 9:02 pm

This may be a classic case of too little, too late. Its mid-June. Parts of the Sierra foothills have not seen measurable rain for months, March? April? As usual the state delayed hiring seasonal firefighters, and now with fires already burning, the people who would be cutting fire breaks and clearing the undergrowth are on the fire lines fighting fires.

To rub it in, over the past several years Gruesom and his predecessor Moonbeam, emptied the prisons of every convicted felon they could call “non-violent”; those are the people who, in the past, staffed the inmate fire teams. They did the hard, dirty firefighting to earn credits toward release. The same for the youth authority camps, of which only one remains today and has to fight for its life every year to escape the budget monster.

This problem with letting the eco-nazis dictate forest management has fed wildfires for decades. The residents of South Lake Tahoe were not allowed to rake up pine needles in their yards…. until the fire used them to burn a bunch of homes in the neighborhoods.

I lived there for 75 years, the last 10 under constant threat of fire… enough was enough, We bolted east in April after the last horse died. Its hot and we have fires but no big timber, so minimal risk to home and hearth.

    thetaqjr in reply to amatuerwrangler. | June 20, 2021 at 10:56 pm

    “ The residents of South Lake Tahoe were not allowed to rake up pine needles in their yards…”

    What does that even mean?

    My pigs eat pine needles for roughage.

    Save a rake, buy a pig.

      txvet2 in reply to thetaqjr. | June 21, 2021 at 3:30 pm

      As one who has to deal with both mountain cedar and feral hogs on a regular basis, I’d rather have the needles

    danvillemom in reply to amatuerwrangler. | June 21, 2021 at 12:58 am

    The fire danger in the Sierra foothills is so bad that most insurance companies will no longer provide fire insurance. Some homeowners are forced to buy through Lloyds of London.

    MattMusson in reply to amatuerwrangler. | June 21, 2021 at 9:36 am

    It is unfortunate. But, people generally lag in response to droughts. And, governments certainly lag compared to the citizens.

    tbonesays in reply to amatuerwrangler. | June 21, 2021 at 4:55 pm

    “This may be a classic case of too little, too late. Its mid-June. Parts of the Sierra foothills have not seen measurable rain for months”

    Maybe Gov N will discover it’s time to stop dumping fresh water into the Pacific Ocean.

henrybowman | June 20, 2021 at 9:02 pm

I’m so old, I remember when states were run by actual adults, who knew these things without having to re-discover them for themselves.

JusticeDelivered | June 20, 2021 at 9:07 pm

Nature is managing their deadfall right now. Even acient pople understaood the necessity of managing underbrush.

Sadly, Newsom looks likely to survive the current recall effort. Of course he’d only be replaced by someone as whacky.

Halcyon Daze | June 20, 2021 at 9:25 pm

Gruesome Newsom.

Poor forestry stewardship resulting in the accumulation of debris, undergrowth and stands of dead or diseased trees creates a highly elevated risk of fire.

Failure to remove that material was a policy choice made under the influence of the environmental lobby. The politicians knew better but decided an affinity label as ‘green’ was more important to them.

I was under the impression that the alleged dangers of climate change began well prior to last Thursday. So even if one chooses to use that argument what explains the delay until last week? Affinity group political power in CA.

    MattMusson in reply to CommoChief. | June 21, 2021 at 9:38 am

    According the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Nature creates 97% of all Carbon dioxide and humans create 3%.

    Would forest fires in California be counted as Natural CO2? Or, manmade CO2?

      CommoChief in reply to MattMusson. | June 21, 2021 at 11:57 am

      CO2 isn’t flammable.

      Sure living trees need CO2 and provide oxygen in return. The problem isn’t that trees grow. The issue is the lack of basic forestry management practices to clear out dead trees, which harbor disease and infestation that harms the forests. As well as clearing out excessive undergrowth which create a combustible ladder effect.

      Removing dead trees and debris also allows the reintroduction of Native grasses to hold the soil and prevent erosion. Another CA problem.

        mark311 in reply to CommoChief. | June 21, 2021 at 2:40 pm

        I think Matt’s point is that the carbon sequestered in the woodland will be released when it’s burned.

          CommoChief in reply to mark311. | June 21, 2021 at 5:01 pm

          Mark,

          I realize that and addressed that.

          What matters is the presence of large stands of dead trees, underbrush and debris. It doesn’t matter if someone trucked it in and deposits it or if it developed naturally.

          No matter how it arrives the failure to remove it allows the risk of fire to increase and the intensity and duration of those fires to expand when they occur.

CapeBuffalo | June 21, 2021 at 2:46 am

Sorry about the downvote Commo, glasses are off today.. You are absolutely right about policy decisions that were made in Sacramento to buy “green” votes but I disagree that the politicians knew better. They are as dumb and misled as the ecos who lead them.

    CommoChief in reply to CapeBuffalo. | June 21, 2021 at 8:34 am

    These d/progressive defer what used to be routine functions of govt. Basic forestry management, repair of roads and other traditional infrastructure and what began as small issues are allowed to grow into huge problems.

    These problems now require more funds to remediate. The d/progressive use that to call for increased taxation. The elevated level of taxation becomes permanent and the tax revenue is cycled through a series of politically connected individuals and groups who are allies of the politicians.

    These individuals and groups use a portion of the funds to make campaign contributions and in some cases hire the family members of the politicians into what amount to no show or no work jobs.

    All of that is definitely on purpose. They manufacture or deliberately allow routine problems to become larger and more expensive to mitigate. They know exactly what they are doing.

In Or and Wa the legislatures went nuts on going after the police and CRT, but did exactly jack shit on wild fire response and prevention.

Western Wa burned like a hell hole last summer with several of the fires being arson. Oregon is poised to burn again due to drought.

Is there going to be a federal component to the forest management? A significant percentage of California’s forests are under federal control in terms of management.

    CommoChief in reply to mark311. | June 21, 2021 at 5:59 pm

    Feds manage Federal land using forestry stewardship process to the extent that the various court rulings applicable in that Federal Circuit allow them to. The public in areas abutting Federal lands can influence the process as well. Since this is CA which is in the 9th circuit…

    Additionally the administration sets priorities and goals so where a particular administration is lax then less is done, where they are vigorous then more gets done. When coupled with lawsuits it means very little headway is made, if any.

    Finally, many State Forests border Federal land and private land. The failure of any party to remove the dead trees, debris and undergrowth endangers the neighboring tracts regardless of ownership.

They have been having this debate for decades. Trump wasn’t saying anything new. California nutcases always do the wrong thing.