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Apparently the USFS has been doing such a good job of creating forest wildfires in the name of “saving” targeted species that don’t like logging that they are now branching out. Tom Vilsack just created a new USDA Federal Advisory Committee “to provide advice and recommendations on modernizing landscape management across national forests within the Northwest Forest Plan area in Washington, Oregon and Northern California.” 

The purpose of the committee is to “update” the failed Northwest Forest Plan “so that national forests are managed sustainably, adapted to climate change, and resilient to wildfire, insects, disease, and other disturbances, while meeting the needs of local communities” and “also advise how these planning efforts can complement the Wildfire Crisis Strategy.” It will be interesting to see how they plan to “meet the needs local communities,” when even Norm Johnson says that have consistently failed to do so — and government handouts aren’t what’s needed or wanted by most. Jobs, safe forests, and aesthetics should be the focus, in my opinion, certainly not “climate change”; which forests have successfully adapted to for millions of years without government intervention.

The committee contains key members of the Northwest Forest Planning Committee and others who have helped to create this predictable “crisis” in the first place, or have directly profited by its implementation and results. Appointed members include Northwest Plan co-founder, Jerry Franklin, and environmental lawyer, Susan Jane Brown, among others. These are the very people many hold directly responsible for the massive increase in federal forest fire frequency, severity, and extent, and yet: “Establishing this committee is another way for us to embrace climate-smart science, ensure we hear from diverse voices and get a range of perspectives on how to best confront the wildfire crisis and climate change.”

So it appears that by embracing this new kind of “climate-smart science” they will be able to “complement the Wildfire Crisis Strategy?” This sounds like one more way of making things worse, not better! While a handful of people have directly profited by the implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan since Clinton created it in the 1990s, the cost has been tens of billions of taxpayer dollars, tens of millions of burned forestland acres and killed wildlife, widespread rural unemployment, thousands of burned homes, hundreds of dead people, and ruined families and communities. And for what? No evidence a single spotted owl, marbled murrelet, or coho has “survived” because of this gross misdirection. How did we start down this path, and why can’t we get off?

At some point this costly scam needs to end, and maybe this is a step in that direction. One can hope: https://northwestobserver.com/index.php?ArticleId=2856&fbclid=IwAR0xn2cyORelNDOgTyfimZUH8-E9uf0QJPHUe8BUdC3MkHzAX9S4su0ywtc

PR from the Willamette National Forest in Oregon below. Twitter posts follow. Question: If the fire is “creeping and smoldering,” maybe it ought to be monitored, not suppressed, since it probably is a beneficial fire.

Firefighters respond to lightning-caused fire in the Three Sisters Wilderness

McKenzie Bridge, Ore., – July 6, 2023. On July 5, a lightning-caused fire was reported in the Three Sisters Wilderness near Mink Lake Basin north of Park Trail #3530. The fire is named the Moonlight Fire and is approximately 2 acres. Fire behavior is characterized by creeping and smoldering. Currently, 10 smokejumpers are on scene working to suppress the fire. A medium sized type 2 helicopter will arrive later today and will be working out of McKenzie Bridge. Tomorrow, McKenzie River’s 20 person hand crew will arrive in addition to the smokejumpers.

The fire is being managed by McKenzie River Ranger District using full suppression tactics to put the fire out. There is no current threat to structures or nearby communities. We advise the public to please stay out of the area. Updates on Moonlight Fire will continue as needed.

Fire danger level on the Willamette National Forest is “high” and the IFPL level is at IFPLII. There are currently no public use restrictions in place for fire, but Forest Service officials urge everyone to exercise caution while recreating in the woods, especially if they have a campfire. A campfire should be contained in a pre-existing or robust fire ring with a shovel and water in reach. The campfire should be kept small and at least five feet away from any flammable material, including overhanging tree limbs. Never leave a campfire unattended and ensure any burning material is cold to the touch before leaving the area.

Please be aware of current restrictions before you head out and share current information with others who may be unaware of the restrictions. As fire restrictions change, information will be available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/willamette/fire. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @WillametteNF for the latest updates. To report a wildfire, please call 9-1-1.

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Deschutes National Forest Twitter posts:

(3/3) The fire is being managed by McKenzie River Ranger District using full suppression tactics to put the fire out. There is no current threat to structures or nearby communities. We advise the public to please stay out of the area.

(2/3) Currently, 10 smokejumpers are on scene working to suppress the fire. A medium sized type 2 helicopter will arrive later today and will be working out of McKenzie Bridge. Tomorrow, McKenzie River’s 20 person hand crew will arrive in addition to the smokejumpers.

(1/3) On July 5, a lighting-caused fire was reported in the Three Sisters Wilderness near Mink Lake Basin north of Park Trail #3530. The fire is named as the Moonlight Fire and is approximately 2 acres. The fire behavior is characterized by creeping and smoldering.

The USFS has an interesting and detailed storymap on the 2022 fire in Oregon. Burned 112K+ acres around Waldo Lake, a popular recreation area.

From the LA Times yesterday. Hanson makes some good points about fire, but he doesn’t mention that the health of the giant sequoias is also influenced by competition from white fir and other species. It is those competing trees that “bulldozers, chain saws and logging” would remove, not mature giant sequoias.

In my Inbox this morning….

2023 Fiscal Year-End Drive Goal: $50,000 Deadline: Midnight on June 30 Donate today     Steven,   There’s nothing like walking through an old-growth forest.   Magnificent Douglas firs, red spruces and white pines stand like giants against the sky, while ferns, shrubs, mosses and wildflowers dot the understory.   But right now, 20 logging projects from the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia to the Kootenai National Forest in Montana are putting mature and old-growth trees in imminent danger.1   We’ve set a goal of raising $50,000 by June 30 to keep our mature and old-growth forests off the chopping block in the year ahead. Will you donate to our 2023 Fiscal Year-End Drive today?   Last year, President Biden ordered a first-ever inventory of America’s mature and old-growth forests on federal lands and directed federal agencies to then develop policies to protect them. But the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management have continued to allow timber companies to log older trees at an alarming rate.   Right now, logging projects are targeting more than 300,000 acres of mature and old-growth forests.2   We know that the longer a forest remains untouched by human development, the more that life can grow and thrive there.   But these old-growth forests aren’t just irreplaceable habitat for countless animal species (though they are). They’re also our best allies in the fight against climate change — allies we lose the minute we cut them down.   The older a tree is, the better it is at storing carbon. Nearly 70% of all carbon stored in trees is absorbed in the second half of their lives.3   We simply can’t afford to chop down our oldest trees. But if we don’t act quickly, we could soon hear the chainsaws and see our beloved forests reduced to stumps.   Donate to our 2023 Fiscal Year-End Drive to be a guardian for our oldest trees in the year ahead.   We won’t let these forests be chopped down. Here’s what we’re doing to keep trees standing for generations to come:   We’re asking the Biden administration to put mature and old-growth forests on federal lands off-limits to logging. Our national network has already generated more than 40,000 public comments and are continuing to raise the voices of community members, scientists and activists around the country to tell the U.S. Forest Service to defend these trees. We’re urging Congress to pass the Roadless Area Conservation Act, which would keep our forests intact — permanently. This bill will safeguard millions of acres of America’s national forests, permanently protecting roadless areas from logging and road-building by strengthening the 2001 Roadless Rule. We’re also working to protect the North American boreal forest from logging. Our supporters and advocates are calling on major companies — including Procter & Gamble, The Home Depot, Amazon and Costco — to not use wood from the boreal for their products.   Environment Oregon and our national network have a long history of defending our forests. We helped deliver landmark protections for 60 million acres of roadless areas in national forests, and we helped restore these roadless protections to all 9.2 million acres of Alaska’s Tongass National Forest earlier this year.   Now, we’re sending a strong message to the Biden administration to let our oldest trees grow. And we’re just getting started. With your help, we can protect mature and old-growth forests in the year ahead.   Will you stand with us as we stand up for our oldest trees?   Thank you,   Celeste Meiffren-Swango Director 1. Ellen Montgomery, “Threatened Forests,” Environment America, May 19, 2023. 2. Ellen Montgomery, “Threatened Forests,” Environment America, May 19, 2023. 3. Torah Kachur, “As trees age, their climate benefit grows,” CBC News, August 18, 2017.     Your donation will be used to support all of our campaigns to protect the environment, from saving the bees and protecting public lands, to standing up for clean water and fighting climate change. None of our work would be possible without supporters like you.

Environment Oregon, Inc. 1536 SE 11th Ave., Suite B, Portland, OR 97214, (503) 231-1986 Member questions or requests call 1-800-401-6511. Facebook | Twitter If you want us to stop sending you e-mail then follow this link — Unsubscribe

Proposed rule:

“To support responsible deployment of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration (CCUS), the Forest Service is proposing an amendment to its regulations at 36 CFR 251.54 — Proposal and Application Requirements and Procedures to allow exclusive or perpetual right of use or occupancy (36 CFR 251.54(e)(1)(iv)) of National Forest System (NFS) lands for CCUS. This proposed rulemaking would amend initial screen criteria in existing regulations to allow for permanent carbon dioxide sequestration on NFS lands to support CCUS-related activities and will help meet the Administration’s priority of tackling the climate crisis.”

From an EnergyWire ($) article:

John Winn, a Forest Service spokesperson, emphasized in an email that the proposal “does not authorize the use” of carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) on Forest Service lands. It just opens the door to consideration; any storage proposals would still have to go through environmental review and public scoping.

Interesting reading from The Conversation: ” US national parks are crowded – and so are many national forests, wildlife refuges, battlefields and seashores.”

Excerpt:

While research shows that spending time outside is good for physical and mental health, long lines and gridlocked roads can make the experience a lot less fun. Crowding also makes it harder for park staff to protect wildlife and fragile lands and respond to emergencies. To manage the crowds, some parks are experimenting with timed-entry vehicle reservation systems and permits for popular trails.

I can offer one example: At the spectacular Multnomah Falls, in Oregon in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, parking and traffic has been so bad in recent years that these days a “Timed Use Permit will be required daily from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m from May 26 through September 4, 2023.” Permits are only available via Recreation.gov — none are available on site.

My take: these permits are annoying and don’t fully solve the overcrowding problem, but the USFS had to do something.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation: Cottonwood ‘fix’ needed

I’m going to do a series of posts on the BLM proposed rule, don’t know how many yet. I was intrigued by a couple of things… first, the coverage by some was “the best thing since sliced bread” and by others “potential to kick out current users.”  Of course, some people think that kicking out current users is the best thing since sliced bread, so there’s that.  Then I happened to sit by some BLM retirees, who pointed out “we can already do this, and have done so.” In fact, they gave me all kinds of examples of conservation lease-like stories, which I am hoping to inveigle someone to write about (either for TSW or reporters) because they are stories that haven’t been covered as far as I know.

Anyway, I attended the Denver/Golden public meeting on the Proposed BLM Rule. There were folks from various other States (state government) there, and the folks from Utah Diné Bikéyah- those are just the folk I spoke with, not a random sample. I counted about 70 folks there.

The BLM Director and Nada Culver were there as was the State Director, Doug Vilsack. Career folks gave the presentation. We submitted questions on file cards, and they answered some. Then we broke up and there were lines for questions on different topics. I tried to overhear other peoples’ questions, but the acoustics made that fairly difficult. They said that the questions that weren’t answered would be answered in the online Q&A’s. I learned many things, including how to pronounce ACEC’s… ay cee eee cee’s.

The other thing they mentioned was that they had asked local managers to do sensing with their partners in addition to the formal meetings. It would be interesting to see how this is being carried out. Please comment if you’ve been involved.

It seemed like the audience, based on the questions, was curious about the rationale for this rulemaking. The argument from the BLM is that “we can manage better with these regs in place.” Questioners thought that many of the things in the rule were already being done. I heard a couple of answers “this is a framework” “it provides consistency” but my guess is that it’s protection-by rulemaking- to narrow the decision space of future administrations.  It would take time to undo a reg.. and groups would argue that it would be the end of life as we know it if the reg were removed.  I guess if that’s really true, they can’t say it out loud, and so that makes for fuzzy answers. It is 2023 and we all know what happens next year.

It seems to me that the Biden Administration is between a rock and a hard place.  If we think of politics as being about “rewarding your friends and punishing your enemies”, the Biden folks have two sets of friends with different goals.. one wants to “protect” federal land acres, and the other wants to cover federal lands with solar panels and wind turbines.  Both sides probably want to kick out oil and gas, OHVs and perhaps cattle grazing.  If we were logical about this.. when the Admin came in they could have set up a national program to pick out places for each. My guess is that we would find out it’s impossible to do 30×30 with protected areas and have the number of renewable installations and powerlines desired.  So perhaps the easiest thing for them was to kick the can down the road and have us hash it out place by place.

Here’s an example of rewarding your friends, from last year

Shortly after Secretary Haaland’s announcement, BLM posted an updated rent manual chapter, which adjusts downward the amounts charged to existing and new wind and solar energy projects located on public lands.¹ BLM expects the revised rates to reduce bills by over 50 percent on average.

Now we know that those industries already get many regulatory and tax relief advantages as well.

And then there’s Monumentizing.

“The president’s actions today show that he is listening to communities and tribal nations that have been calling for the protection of natural and cultural resources and for safe, equitable access to more public lands,” Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Center for Western Priorities, said in a statement. “But he still has a long way to go to reach the 30×30 goal.”

Now if you do the math, and you define “protection” as being in some kind of specially “protected” area, and you also have a goal of increasing wind, solar and transmission lines, there might not be enough land at all, let alone much left for the rest of us.

So one way of looking at this proposed regulation is “does it change who will be calling the shots on what uses will be favored?” Can the tools in it be used to divvy up land between “protection” interests and renewable corporate interests?  And some people are reacting in a non-trusting manner to assurances that their uses won’t be affected.  I have some ideas as to why they might not be trusting. This might be helpful during the next election cycle, and for the next Admin.

1. If the President goes after certain uses (most notably the Prez promising to end oil and gas leasing on federal lands), and then have a reg that you say “will have no impacts”; it’s going to be hard for people to trust you. The choices of political appointees and the organizations they came from speak for themselves, as folks on TSW have pointed out.  But that’s water under the proverbial bridge, so..

2. Focus on one thing. As this shows, it’s a three-part rulemaking. This reminds me a bit of the kitchen-sinkery MOG ANPR; one wonders if this is a new rule-making strategy..maybe people won’t find the parts they won’t like if you throw enough different ideas into the mix.

3. So you can’t/won’t make “wise” decisions without the reg?  Decisions now aren’t based on “science” nor “data”? This is a bit puzzling. Because I thought they always have been.. it also doesn’t place current employees nor the current Admin in a particularly good light.. are they making “unwise” decisions now? This does not sound right.. so doesn’t lead to trust.

Next post: Abstractions Run Amok