Note: PD is also endorsing Prop 3 water bond, one of the very few in the state supporting Prop 3 boondoggle on taxpayers which will short change education, health and more.
PD Staff
I was not surprised, but was disappointed, with the PD’s support for
Jim Wood, et al, for (in your words) for delivering the goods in
wildfire response (with the approval of SB 901)
My disappointment arises from some misplaced expectation that PD
staff would actually put some effort into assessing the issue of what
goods were actually delivered.
The forest management aspect of SB 901 was written and supported by
industry that allows for the cutting of larger trees that are not a
source of fuel ladder or load causing wildfire threat. With
questions of how really to manage wildfire fuel load reduction – the
issue is quite open as to what resources are to be expended, where
they will be expended, and how this is to be managed and paid
for. In my mind (and it will probably be proven to be) this is just
another government screw up – due haste and a lack of study and
planning (supported by experts) that is needed.
Funds supporting such operations are not necessarily in place. The
State (it is not clear which agency – Calfire or the Air Resources
Board) must complete GHG analysis before funds are available.
And…the “mandated” 200 million to be spent each year needs to be
parceled out across the State.
Additionally, as I had mentioned, any such fuel load reduction work
in fire prone chaparral/grassland/mixed conifer areas would need to
be periodic – as there is rapid regeneration in these areas. Any such
work will need to be assessed and managed so as not to produce
negative water quality effects – flooding and erosion.
Little effort is being put into community planning for areas of
wildfire risk. There are many areas that already developed in such
wildfire risk areas. The idea of protecting these areas with
greenbelts is economically and physically impossible. There is not
enough money to support Greenbelts and they will provide little help
in the face of a moving fire pushed by 70 mph winds.
So what goods were actually delivered and will anything effective
really occur? Possibly the PD might look into that question. Do
your research – before you report.
Alan Levine
Coast Action Group