Wild Olympic Campaign increases the chance of catastroph​ic fire on the Peninsula

Editorial by Shelly Taylor

Posted 3/6/2013

Olympic Peninsula, WA State – A brief seen in our local paper recently:

“Grants Pass, Oregon: Big changes are in store for U.S. forests as global warming increases wildfires and insect infestations, and generates more floods and droughts, the US Dept of Agriculture warned Tuesday. In a new report, it said the area burned by wildfires is expected to at least double over the next 25 years.”

I remember being told that wildfires are increasing because the forests aren’t being managed properly, i.e. logging to remove forest debris.

Here is the reply I received:

“Each forest region has different problems with forest health issues. The Pacific NW was dramatically impacted by the NW Forest Plan (NWFP) when Clinton decided to lock up (preserve) about twenty four and a half million acres of US Forest Service FS) timberlands in Washington, Oregon and Northern California. Most of the Federal Forests contained in the NWFP are prone to Mother Nature’s wind, fire and disease regime. Regulations have crippled the Forest Service management of our federal forests and the same regs have opened the door to endless lawsuits when the FS attempts to do anything. READ MORE>>>