Climate change isn't the sole cause of recent wildfires, George Skelton writes. Forestry mismanagement and overpopulation of wildlands also play a role.
It’s time for the governor to start blaming mismanagement of the forests as much as climate change for these horrendous wildfires, columnist George Skelton writes.
But fire was necessary for a healthy forest. In California and most of the West, whenever a fire ignited, we rushed to extinguish it. The public demanded it — little towns and resorts were springing up and needed to be protected. And prescribed burning was a smoky nuisance.So, California forests became overgrown with people, pines and dense undergrowth.
The result of nature’s management is a forest that’s practically in mint condition, resistant to fire and disease.There was a four-year severe drought around 2000, and fewer than one tree per acre died, according to UC Berkeley fire science professor Scott Stephens, who has studied the Baja range for 20 years.
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