Trump’s USDA Moves to Eliminate Crucial Roadless Rule Protections From National Forests
FUSEE, Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology- an organization of active, former or retired wildland firefighters are also speaking out against the repeal. They say in a statement that more roads and human access will mean more human-caused wildfire starts. And that logging roads in backcountry areas are dangerous for attempting to stop wildfire. FUSEE argues this is best done by aviation-based tactics and other means fully allowed by the existing rule.
A current member of an active Wildfire module Molly Maguire stated, “Wildland fires are necessary and incredibly significant ecological processes. Roadless areas lack much infrastructure or human structures, so they offer opportunities to safely, economically, and ecologically manage fire across large areas without threatening human assets,”
FUSEE, Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology- an organization of active, former or retired wildland firefighters are also speaking out against the repeal. They say in a statement that more roads and human access will mean more human-caused wildfire starts. And that logging roads in backcountry areas are dangerous for attempting to stop wildfire. FUSEE argues this is best done by aviation-based tactics and other means fully allowed by the existing rule.
A current member of an active Wildfire module Molly Maguire stated, “Wildland fires are necessary and incredibly significant ecological processes. Roadless areas lack much infrastructure or human structures, so they offer opportunities to safely, economically, and ecologically manage fire across large areas without threatening human assets,”
Repeal of U.S. Roadless Rule could threaten drinking water for 25 million people
“Constructing new logging roads into roadless areas will increase human-caused wildfire ignitions by careless recreationists, criminal arsonists, or simple accidents,” Carson States, a ten-season firefighter and engine boss from Oregon, said in a statement from FUSEE, Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology.
The proposed rule concedes that “greater public access can increase human-caused ignition potential in some locations,” while arguing new roads could still help crews protect communities.
“Constructing new logging roads into roadless areas will increase human-caused wildfire ignitions by careless recreationists, criminal arsonists, or simple accidents,” Carson States, a ten-season firefighter and engine boss from Oregon, said in a statement from FUSEE, Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology.
The proposed rule concedes that “greater public access can increase human-caused ignition potential in some locations,” while arguing new roads could still help crews protect communities.
The US Forest Service Moves to Cancel Its “Best Idea”: the Roadless Rule
Crude, single-use, mid-slope logging roads, the kind that would likely be constructed, are not useful to firefighters, who typically steer fires from ridgelines and along rivers, cautioned Ingalsbee. “Expanding the road network means expanding the opportunities for human-caused wildfires, either from accidents, carelessness or criminality,” he added. “Rescinding the rule to build new roads in some of the steepest, ruggedest remote wildlands left is about aiding firefighters' safety and efficiency, it's just bunk.”
Crude, single-use, mid-slope logging roads, the kind that would likely be constructed, are not useful to firefighters, who typically steer fires from ridgelines and along rivers, cautioned Ingalsbee. “Expanding the road network means expanding the opportunities for human-caused wildfires, either from accidents, carelessness or criminality,” he added. “Rescinding the rule to build new roads in some of the steepest, ruggedest remote wildlands left is about aiding firefighters' safety and efficiency, it's just bunk.”
USDA Advances Plan to Revoke Roadless Rule, Favoring Logging and Mining
Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology releases statements asserting that specialized crews like smokejumpers can effectively manage fires in these areas, and the lack of development within roadless wildlands provides for safer fire management. The administration’s focus on expanding timber production echoes a call to former President Trump to increase logging in these areas.
Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology releases statements asserting that specialized crews like smokejumpers can effectively manage fires in these areas, and the lack of development within roadless wildlands provides for safer fire management. The administration’s focus on expanding timber production echoes a call to former President Trump to increase logging in these areas.
Trump’s Move to Rescind Roadless Rule Rewards Logging and Mining Interests
Last week, the Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology released statements from experts who argue that smokejumpers, heli-rappelers, and helitack crews can manage fires in roadless areas and that the absence of communities or infrastructure in roadless wildlands actually provides more opportunities to safely manage fire, especially when it can be beneficial to the forest.
Last week, the Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology released statements from experts who argue that smokejumpers, heli-rappelers, and helitack crews can manage fires in roadless areas and that the absence of communities or infrastructure in roadless wildlands actually provides more opportunities to safely manage fire, especially when it can be beneficial to the forest.
Move to Rescind Roadless Rule Rewards Logging and Mining Interests
Last week, the Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology released statements from experts who argue that smokejumpers, heli-rappelers, and helitack crews can manage fires in roadless areas and that the absence of communities or infrastructure in roadless wildlands actually provides more opportunities to safely manage fire, especially when it can be beneficial to the forest.
Last week, the Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology released statements from experts who argue that smokejumpers, heli-rappelers, and helitack crews can manage fires in roadless areas and that the absence of communities or infrastructure in roadless wildlands actually provides more opportunities to safely manage fire, especially when it can be beneficial to the forest.
US proposes rescinding Roadless Rule protections for national forests
Aug. 25 is a National Day of Action to support U.S. national parks and public lands. One focus of the event is the U.S. government’s intention to rescind a rule that bans road construction and industrial logging across more than 23 million hectares (57 million acres) of national forest land.
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“Constructing new logging roads into roadless areas will increase human-caused wildfire ignitions by careless recreationists, criminal arsonists, or simple accidents,” Carson States with Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology said in a statement.
Aug. 25 is a National Day of Action to support U.S. national parks and public lands. One focus of the event is the U.S. government’s intention to rescind a rule that bans road construction and industrial logging across more than 23 million hectares (57 million acres) of national forest land.
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“Constructing new logging roads into roadless areas will increase human-caused wildfire ignitions by careless recreationists, criminal arsonists, or simple accidents,” Carson States with Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology said in a statement.
Firefighters doubt repeal of Roadless Rule will help with wildfires
Tim Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology, believes the Trump administration’s real focus is timber, and the agriculture department’s messaging about wildfire reduction and firefighter access is deceptive.
“Not in our name,” Ingalsbee told Lookout Eugene-Springfield during the event.
“From the perspective of wildland firefighters, this (repeal of the roadless rule) is not going to make it safer, more efficient to go suppress wildfires. It’s going to be just the opposite. It’s going to increase their burdens, risk, and hazards. “
Tim Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology, believes the Trump administration’s real focus is timber, and the agriculture department’s messaging about wildfire reduction and firefighter access is deceptive.
“Not in our name,” Ingalsbee told Lookout Eugene-Springfield during the event.
“From the perspective of wildland firefighters, this (repeal of the roadless rule) is not going to make it safer, more efficient to go suppress wildfires. It’s going to be just the opposite. It’s going to increase their burdens, risk, and hazards. “
Forest Service moves ahead with plan to end Roadless Rule, which would affect forest near Eugene
Eugene-based conservation groups — including Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands and Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology — held several public events advocating to keep the rule in place, also pushing for science-based approaches.
Eugene-based conservation groups — including Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands and Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology — held several public events advocating to keep the rule in place, also pushing for science-based approaches.
Roadless Rule Still Under Threat
Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology says the idea that logging equals less fire is misguided. “Commercial logging takes the largest portion of the largest tree and hauls it away, and those are the least flammable parts of a tree,” he says. “What’s left behind are the most flammable and smallest size material, the needles and the small limbs and the logs left behind. That’s the most flammable.”
He adds that fire is a natural phenomenon and the USDA does not need to send young firefighters to every single fire that crops up in the nation’s forests. “The assumption that the forest would disappear without human intervention by logging or firefighting is ridiculous.”
Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology says the idea that logging equals less fire is misguided. “Commercial logging takes the largest portion of the largest tree and hauls it away, and those are the least flammable parts of a tree,” he says. “What’s left behind are the most flammable and smallest size material, the needles and the small limbs and the logs left behind. That’s the most flammable.”
He adds that fire is a natural phenomenon and the USDA does not need to send young firefighters to every single fire that crops up in the nation’s forests. “The assumption that the forest would disappear without human intervention by logging or firefighting is ridiculous.”