Jeanie:
I'm not sure why my opposition to radical environmentalism translates, in your
mind, to me not liking open spaces, eagles, hawks and horses. I have
worked in the outdoors for much of my life, having served as a U.S. Forest
Service smoke jumper in Montana, a member of a Forest Service Hot-Shot
Crew in Southern California, a trails crewman in Colorado, a fish counter for
the U.S. Fish and Game Dept. in Alaska, a forester's aide in Idaho. I
love the out-of-doors. That's why I am appalled at regulations that are
intended to "protect the environment" which, in reality, hurt
it. don't question the passion of people who call themselves
environmentalists. At times, however, I question their wisdom. As I
write this, we are battling a huge fire just south of Lake
Tahoe not that far from the Tevis Trail that has already consumed,
thousands of acres of forest, several hundred homes and forced thousands to
flee for their lives. As of yet, this fire is still out of control. Wildlife
- including eagles and hawks -- are fleeing, old-growth trees are burning. This
fire is largely a result of banning selective logging and the severe
restrictions - all in the name of environmentalism - placed on thinning the
forest with controlled burns and mechanical removal. These regulations
were imposed by passionate people. But they aren't wise
regulations. They have resulted in a sick, overgrown forest infested with
bark beetles and ripe for catastrophic fire. The original stewards of
this land, the Maidu Indians - indeed all of California's original 500 tribes -
used fire every year to keep the forest floor clear of debris and "ladder
fuels" that we now have cluttering the landscape. Passionate, caring
"Environmentalists" created these regulations. But they will be
the last to accept any of the blame for the resulting fire calamity. And as far
as appreciating the taxpayers who pay my salary, of course I appreciate
them. That's why I feel it important to let them know exactly what is
happening to their parks and wild lands all in the name of
"environmentalism." --Dave
