The Smokey Wire : National Forest News and Views
Community Sourced, Shared and Supported
Thanks to Bob Sproul for finding this New York Times story about Susan Jane Brown and efforts to reach consensus around logging on the Malheur National Forest by Nichols Kristof. Since it’s so relevant, I’m posting the entire piece. I do like the idea that our humble forest work could “offer lessons for a divided … Read more
This webinar is worth a watch for anyone interested in the topic. Here’s the agenda. Folks at Interior couched this as being presentations by “experts”; I would call them interests, myself. The recording is available here. * Excellent explanation of the BLM leasing process by Nada Culver. Culver, according to this E&E news story, may … Read more
Scientific information is conditional on the approach to the study (framing), discipline(s)involved, methodology used, and the specifics of time and place. The more information expands, the more we know, even though it might feel like we are the blind person dealing with the elephant. Yet there is a balance between accepting the conclusions and understanding … Read more
Seems like TSW folks might be interested in this.. The Western Governors’ Association in July will launch Working Lands, Working Communities, the central policy initiative of incoming WGA Chair, Idaho Gov. Brad Little. The Initiative will examine the interdependent relationships between western communities and state and federal land /resource management entities, and the role that … Read more
Another detailed story from Jack Igelman of Carolina Public Press on the litigation against the new Forest Service NEPA Regulations. I’d like to discuss the NEPA attitude question that Sam Evans brought up in post 2 on this. This one will just focus on “how different is the new CE from current legislative CE’s?” and … Read more
Ya gotta love the Washington Post..or not. Here’s their story. In a last minute change before leaving office, the Trump administration finalized a rule Wednesday that will allow the U.S. Forest Service to log and otherwise manage 2,800 acres of forest in the West without an environmental review. I sometimes wonder if the people quoted … Read more
Lisa Friedman of the New York Times wrote an interesting article about the top things the new administration could do for the environment. Most of her nine are about climate change. Of most interest to us, is perhaps one she calls “Restore Wildlife Areas” According to her, Mr. Biden has pledged to take “immediate steps … Read more
Today (perhaps) is the last day we don’t know what color of Administration we’ll have. So I’ll propose something that either party could adopt. I’m going to focus on the idea of uniting and getting better policy. Here are my assumptions: 1) a diversity of ideas to select from promotes better policy 2) wide swings … Read more
The Golden State is the latest state to sign a Shared Stewardship agreement with the USFS. Interesting: “nearly half of the state dollars invested in fuels management in recent years was spent on federal land.” The press release from Gov. Newsom’s office shown here says “The Great American Outdoors Act … will provide critical funding … Read more
I think one of the ways it’s easy to talk past each other is that some people have a philosophy of “letting things alone” (philosophical, abstract). Other people tend to be more concrete (would 15 or 30 snags per acre be better for a species of woodpecker?). Perhaps (this is a hypothesis) collaboration that works … Read more