Gov. Jerry Brown, alarmed by reports that climate change is dramatically increasing fire risk, on Thursday ordered an all-out attack by scientists, land managers, industry and the public on the dangerous conditions that helped spread last year’s devastating wildfires.
The executive order will launch a slate of projects to improve forest conditions and increase fire protection, including a doubling of the amount of land managed by controlled burns, tree thinning and other forest-management tactics.
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Brown’s plan includes the following:
•Doubling the land actively managed through vegetation thinning, controlled fires and reforestation from 250,000 acres to 500,000 acres.
• Creating programs to help promote forest health through prescribed burning.•Teaching landowners better ways to reduce vegetation and other forest-fire fuels on private lands.
• Streamlining the process for property owners to win permits to improve forest health and reduce forest-fire fuels on their land.
• Supporting the innovative use of forest products, including lumber and wood products for building, and organic matter for fuel and to generate electricity.
•Expanding grants, training and other incentives to improve watersheds.
Read more about Gov. Brown’s executive order on the SF Chronical website: here
ok… but I didn’t see anything about programs aimed at educating the young. 😒 You know – those “programs” that teach them what a tree is.😁
But it is good that they have figured out that Star Gate was just a sci-fi TV show and we are not (yet) traveling at warp speed to other planets….
Just back from two weeks at Kirk Creek, so beautiful. However, was shocked at the huge bonfires in the walk-in camps that went all night, presumably unattended when I awakened at 2 AM to see two large fires still burning, and midnight other nights. The several days of very strong winds are drying the grasses and foliage. Many of the campers are from other countries and may not be attuned to fire awareness. Campgrounds sell firewood, thus encouraging fires. Kirk Creek has NO WATER SUPPLY on the grounds. I spoke with the camp relief host. New hosts just arriving. No idea of their backgrounds or awareness. I wrote a comment on the tag. But something bigger needs to happen. Stop selling firewood, warn all campers, bring in a non-potable water tank like Molera used to have, etc.
Not sure what this rather vague wording implies. Almost makes me think of the brilliant folks around here who think the solution to wildfires is to cut down all the trees!
Brown’s suggestion for what to do with all the trimmed trees – generate electricity? Fouling the air with smoke? I thought he was an environmentalist. Also, new housing needs to have good clearing around it and also be built with rock, adobe brick and metal so that there’s less likely hood of neighborhoods going up in flames again. He mentions nothing about the power lines that started some of the fires. If the lines can’t be buried, then power companies need to conduct better maintenance and install remote cameras to monitor sparks from malfunctioning transformers on remote power poles and towers. When wind storms are predicted, they need to reduce the power being transmitted through the windy zones. Residents need to minimize their power consumption during the reduced power times.
Good points Suzi. It would be valuable if local fire officials had more resources to educate us on how to protect our homes, animals and water supplies BEFORE fire season. It is indeed difficult to dispose of all the trees and brush. Burning, chipping or dumping and acre or more of trimmings are not entirely workable solutions.
I imagine PG&E would need to cut power completely, not simply reduce it. It’s all-or-nothing. That said, they do seem to put much work into keeping the Big Sur lines clear.
Recall the Pfeiffer Fire, 12 homes lost, was caused by improper workmanship on an electrical water pump. Those should be inspected as well….