Wildfires, politics among featured topics at logging conference - Redding Record Searchlight

David Benda Redding Record Searchlight

Published 7:57 PM EST Feb 4, 2019

The politics of how to better manage and protect the state’s wildlands has grown more intense in the wake of last year’s horrific fires.

The polarizing topic, which President Trump commented on through tweets while the Carr and Camp fires were still raging, is the theme of a featured panel at this year’s Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference in Anderson.

“Forests, Fires and Politics” takes place 1-2:30 p.m. Thursday inside Fusaro Hall at the Shasta District Fair grounds.

Clayton Code of LandVest LLC will be the moderator.

Matt Dias, executive officer with the state Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, will be one of the panelists. The board is responsible for protecting forest resources and wildland areas in California that don’t fall under federal jurisdiction.

Thursday's audience will have a fair share of professionals who are interested in vegetation management, especially in the wake of the Camp and Carr fires – the former the costliest natural disaster in the world in 2018 and deadliest wildfire in 100 years in the U.S.; the latter the most destructive fire in Shasta County history and among the largest and deadliest in California.

Protecting property and lives from wildfire won’t be a one-size-fits all strategy going forward, Dias said.

“Really a multitude of factors need to be considered,” Dias said.

“While vegetation management is important, land-use planning is very important, community development is very important,” Dias said. “Transportation issues within a community to support evacuation, if necessary, and emergency personnel to deal with whatever issues present themselves is very important.”

Educating the public, making pre-existing homes more fire resistant and making sure new homes are built to adequate fire standards, too, will play a role, Dias said.

Dias said climate change and how it affects wildfire is also part of the puzzle.

“I think it would be a mistake to take an approach that singles out a particular approach to try to combat this,” Dias said. “We have to take a holistic approach of all the various aspects that affect the situation that we are presented with right now.”

The good news is there is a consensus among the state’s stakeholders that the threat of wildfire is severe and continuing with the status quo won’t work, Dias said.

Visiting Redding in August during the Carr Fire, both U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Ryan Zinke, the former Secretary of Interior, pushed for more thinning of the forests and cutting trees to eliminate combustible fuels.

Last week, state wildland managers were in Sacramento to talk about a plan to expedite logging and prescribed burns by creating a single environmental review for eligible state and private lands.

“The ultimate goal is to make a more efficient environmental analysis on a project-by-project basis, so we can assist non-federal ownership and assist the state while also increasing the pace and scale of wildland prevention activity,” Dias said.

On Thursday, Dias also will spend time discussing new state safety standards for property in high fire-prone areas. The new rules require the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to periodically update regulations for fuel breaks and greenbelts in these areas to better protect neighborhoods, commercial and industrial properties from fire.

This year’s Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference kicks off in earnest with the Gin Fizz Breakfast in Fusaro Hall. The breakfast is sold out.

U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, whose district includes much of the North State, will be the keynote speaker at the breakfast. He plans to talk about D.C. politics and pending legislation after the devastating wildfires in California.

Exhibits for the show open 11 a.m. Thursday, and 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Go to https://www.sclcexpo.com/expo/current-expo for more information.

Let's block ads! (Why?)