by Sonny LaSalle, Hamilton
These comments are in response to the recent news release by a group of environmental groups opposed to a large fuel reduction project on the west side of the Bitterroot Valley.
The release starts with misinformation in the title. They are not conservationists, they are environmentalists and obstructionists. All of the groups named fit that description. They start with words like clear cutting when I have not seen that word in any of the Forest Service information. They totally omit any discussion of the fire danger rating given to this area by the State of Montana. It is the most dangerous wildland urban interface (WUI) in the State of Montana and it is in the top 100 in the nation for dangerous places to have a home. They want to call it a logging operation when logging is just one of the tools to reduce fuel. They focus on grizzly bears, and yes, there have been some confirmed bears passing through, but it has not been classified as critical bear habitat because it isn’t. There has been no determination of how many old trees will be removed, but old growth seems to be a word that is misused to stir emotion. It is ironic they want to moan about old growth when old trees are doomed to die of fire with the fuels found in this area. The only way to protect those old trees is to remove the fuel, both standing and accumulated on the ground around the trees. It appears they would rather have that west face burn right down to private land than to have mechanical treatments to reduce the chance of wind driven crown fires. We have witnessed those wind driven crown fires in this valley and they are unstoppable.
Wild fires in this area are inevitable and the goal of treatments like those being proposed is to increase the liklehood these fires will be ground fires, not crown fires.
The most dangerous statement they make is all that needs to be done is for the private homeowners to clear around their homes and nothing needs to be done on the Forest. Homeowners do have an obligation to create a fire safe environment around their homes. The Bitterroot Forest has been working with the Rural Fire Departments and other organizations to educate people about Firewise for years, but there is way more to the picture than 120 feet around a home. The research that was done to arrive at the 120 feet was focused on testing building materials and their ignition points. The winds that were driving the fires in the research project were approximately 15 miles per hour (MPH). What do you think happens to that 120 feet when the winds are blowing 30 to 50 MPH and pushing a crown fire? The 120 feet will not protect your home! The only chance you have is to significantly reduce the occurrence of a high intensity crown fire by reducing the fuels on the National Forest and the private lands. Fuel is the only part of the fire equation we can manage.
My father was really strong about being responsible for your actions and behavior. What responsibility do these environmental groups have if they are successful in finding a sympathetic judge or judges to agree with their totally unfounded statements, and stop this much needed fuel reduction project? Then, when the inevitable happens and the west face burns and takes houses with it, who bears the responsibility? Could a precedent be set if a homeowner decides to file a civil suit naming the groups in the press release and there was a sympathetic jury? Only one of the groups mentioned has roots in this Valley, the rest have a philosophical interest and very little at stake. They all have the philosophy that the National Forests should be managed like National Parks and that is just not possible or practical. I have over 50 years of fire experience and the things they are saying are simply WRONG and dangerous!