Jeff Erding thinks more logging and grazing would make a real difference in the battle against California wildfires and it might help a little. Trump’s idea to “rake” California’s 33 million acres of forest tells everyone he is a truly ignorant and stupid man. Different forest species and environments need various management plans. Surprisingly, it’s also true that logged forests burn hotter than non-logged forests because an open canopy allows more sun and wind drying out the understory. More controlled fires are needed. Many homes built for fire resistance survived massive fires. Building regulations in forest areas should require fire-resistant homes and forest communities should have a fire-proof shelter. Mr. Erding mentions Ammon Bundy, who recently posted a video on Facebook, calling opposition to immigrants as “based upon fear.” “We have been asked by God to help, to be welcoming, to assist strangers,” he said, and added, “I have been, frankly, surprised, disappointed and, at times, even disgusted by the amount of people who profess to be Christians but will not truly adhere to what Christ said.” Something has gone truly haywire with Christianity in America. Jesus’ love for the poor and disdain for the wealthy has been turned on its head. Seventy-five percent of white Evangelical Christians support our horrible Misleader. There seems to be a cancer on America’s soul. Our nation’s recent climate report was a dire warning that Trump and most Republicans ignore. Trump is doing his worst to accelerate climate change with idiotic policy choices. Government regulations requiring more efficient appliances and vehicles plus ending fossil fuel subsidies are needed. Carbon taxes should replace income taxes on the middle class. Do you care about your children and grandchildren?
Greg Rendahl
Ostrander, Minn.
Kim Wentworth says
Herbie the love bug. Sorry, but ANY mention of global warming, makes your point laughable. The sheer thought that something so small, so unimportant, so irrelevant as human beings hold “earth in the balance” is factually stupid. Stop quoting idiots whom livelihood depends on fake news. EXAMPLE: which state suffers from water shortage the most…Arizona. Which state per capital has the most golf courses… NOTHING to do with climate change, more with common sense.
Aaron Bishop says
Kim,
Humans are not unimportant nor irrelevant when it comes to the health of the biosphere and atmosphere.
That would make an excellent article. Thank you for the idea.
https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/history.html
Cheers!
Herbert Panko says
Mr. Livingood: LOL Do you ever proofread your comments? Do you actually write them? Or do you farm them out to junior high remedial writing classes that are struggling to present coherent argumentative rebuttals? It certainly looks like it. Perhaps you should pursue another hobby.
Herb Panko says
Mr. Livingood: Thanks for providing me with a good laugh. You are the typical, wild, ranting, screaming right winger who lives in a fairy tale world where there are no facts except his imaginary ones. I prefer debating someone who doesn’t use invective and shouting to supplant solid, unbiased research. You and Hawkeye make a good pair. Beware of all those liberals who are a threat to your survival. I suggest you not leave your homes without your trusty AK-47’s. These libs are everywhere!! Have a nice day.
Brady Livingood says
Greetings Herb, I was hoping you’d display the typical MSM style response by invoking fear, suggesting that I own assault weapons, and that liberals are a threat to my survival..LOL😂. And trust me, I avoid conversations with whiney liberals at all costs, but you sir, are special.. Also, are you implying that I’m shouting and ranting at you through a computer screen ? 😂😂 Sounds like I’m not the one who is out of touch with reality. Have a good evening.
Brady Livingood says
I Didn’t realize we were on FaceTime Herb. 😂
There is no need to show research for common knowledge topics like forest fires. Forests were well managed before the Obama disaster. Hence 2018 being the deadliest and most costly fire disaster in history. The knowledge already exists to effectively prevent forest fires, do you remember Smokey the Bear? He hasn’t been around in 8-10 years 😂. Forestry service can’t manage forests effectively when poorly educated knee jerk liberals cut funding to save a lizard.
Brady Livingood says
News flash! The forests have ALL been altered beyond repair long before Donald Trump was even born. You liberals never cease to amaze. You should be talking about education reform in Minnesota. The ignorance and left wing indoctrinated crap displayed in this worthless newspaper is laughable at best. 🇺🇸 You people need to get a grip on reality, or move out of country. There is a reason this paper is free.
Brady Liviny says
News flash! The forests have ALL been altered beyond repair long before Donald Trump was even born. You liberals never cease to amaze. You should be talking about education reform in Minnesota. The ignorance and left wing indoctrinated crap displayed in this worthless newspaper is laughable at best. 🇺🇸 You people need to get a grip on reality, or move out of country.
Hawkeye63 says
If you people would actually research forest and rangeland management, you would find that professional land biologists and managers agree with Mr. Erding.
Well managed grazing and logging is an essential tool to produce useful products and reduce fuel loads. The current eco-terrorist inspired preservation type practices are responsible for the rash of catastrophic fires.
I notice Mr. Rendahl neglected to provide even one source to prove his position. I submit he cannot; no trained forester would support such rubbish.
Aaron Bishop says
Greetings Hawkeye63.
I have included a link with a study providing insight on the matter of how forests which are logged burn hotter than those which are not as well as other factors.
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecs2.1492
Cheers!
Hawkeye63 says
Hello Mr. Bishop, Thanks for the link, but from that source it is nothing but a forgone conclusion looking for justification. No trained professional forester or rangeland biologist with practical experience would ever agree with such nonsense.
Grass evolved to be eaten. 70 years of fire suppression combined with 40 years of
” cutting trees is sinful” have allowed disease like that caused by the pine bark beetle to become rampant, affecting millions of acres across the western U.S. and Canada.
All we need is an examination of facts and statistics to debunk the findings of this eco- nut funded study.
Good forest and range management does not and never has created a potential for more catastrophic fires. Period.
Aaron Bishop says
That is all we would need. Facts and statistics to debunk the findings. Please provide them and the sources. Until then, I see you have provided no sources.
Cheers!
Hawkeye63 says
Aaron Bishop, Erding already did. Have you read the commentary in question? He quoted specific sources and experts that provide inexhaustible amounts of information and statistics.
If that is not enough for you, check out the quarterly editions of Range magazine, a publication dedicated to issues affecting rangeland and forest issues in our western states.
I have to ask why you seem to be defending management that has been such an obvious failure with such disastrous results? Is it not obvious to you that these catastrophic fires mean we need to re-examine how we are operating? Is it not the definition of lunacy to do the same thing over and over and expect different results?
Common sense would seem to indicate that finding ourselves in a nasty hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.
Aaron Bishop says
Greetings Hawkeye63,
I did read his commentary and the source he provided was not addressing what you and I are talking about. His Range magazine spoke about pollutants and vertebrate loss. Fascinating information as this may be, it has nothing to do with the topic from the journal entry I presented. If you recall, we are discussing the intensity and origin of fires in logged and not-logged forests.
I see you cite the “Range” as well. Any chance you could send me a link on that? Is this a paid subscription?
To be clear, I’m not saying the Range doesn’t provide valuable insight. What I’m saying is that it didn’t in any way support the author’s, or your, conclusion about which forests burn more intensely. I am also not defending a practice at all. I’m merely providing you the information from a study, and if that information is sound, then the fires could have been more intense or less intense depending on the variables discussed in the journal entry.
Cheers
Brady Livingood says
That study is complete regurgitated liberal ignorance. The 8+ years of left wing BLM unmanaged forests are the sole reason Paradise California just experienced the most deadly wildfire in Ca state history. Do you live in California? Have you listened to what the residents who actually went through the fire have had to say? Or did you just turn on the tv to CNN and get your daily brainwashing? Furthermore, one who lives in the incredibly WET state of Minnesota has absolutely no business writing about California wildfires. The old saying “Can’t teach common sense”, rings very true in almost every article I find in the Fillmore county journal. “Attached here is a link to a study i found on google while watching CNN”. 😂😂. Get a grip people. You would be well served to further your research and stop writing regurgitated left wing crap.
Aaron Bishop says
Greetings Brady,
I don’t watch CNN. I find most of their daily routine just as exhausting as the rest of the 24-hour news outlets. The study I provided includes fires from around the U.S. One need not live in California to post a relevant study that includes California. If you haven’t read the journal entry I provided, then please do.
Common sense is what got us into this mess. It’s uncommon sense that we need more of.
Cheers.
Herb Panko says
Great article, Greg. I agree 100%. Our current President is destroying America by diminishing and mocking all of our values and institutions. Also, those like Mr. Erding need to leave forest management to the experts. Herb Panko
Sara Snipes says
I also agree wholeheartedly. We have experts in this area for a reason – we don’t ask doctors to change our car’s oil or a plumber to fill a cavity in a tooth. Why are people entrusting lifelong politicians with deep pockets to make these environmental decisions?
We need more scientists in government. Not more billionaires.
Brady Livingood says
Attention Herb Panko, you need to stop filling heads with regurgitated nonsense and turn off the television. Every one of your articles I have read are extremely comical, however, I’m very glad our youth do not read the newspaper as young minds are easily influenced , they might take your libtard lying rhetoric seriously. . Anyone with brain cells knows that liberalism is an infection that needs to be eradicated from human consciousness. I’ll be looking forward to commenting on more of your articles in the future. Btw, did you eat paint chips as a kid ?