by Jeff Lonn, Hamilton
On August 1, Bitterroot National Forest (BNF) raised the fire danger level to EXTREME, the highest danger possible, but after one week still had not implemented any campfire restrictions. If not now, then when?
It makes me think the Forest Service does not really have any interest in preventing wildfires. Why would they, when wildfires provide financial benefits to them? For example, the majority of the FS budget is granted to fight wildfires. And the more wildfires there are, the more they can use fear of fire to promote their pro-logging agenda, using the false narrative that commercial logging far from homes will protect communities. The FS can also use wildfires to get the cut out without environmental review by clearcutting so-called fire lines, often miles upwind from the fire, like they did on the Trail Creek fire in 2021. Finally, following wildfires, there are opportunities for salvage logging, which is always environmentally destructive.
It’s worth remembering that our area’s most destructive recent wildfire, the 2016 Roaring Lion fire, burned 16 houses and was caused by an abandoned campfire in another hot, dry year when campfires should have been prohibited, but were not. Currently, our southern neighbor, Salmon-Challis National Forest (SCNF), at least has Stage 1 restrictions in place. Is SCNF just more proactive and forward-thinking than BNF, or is it because they are already dealing with a huge human-caused fire? Perhaps that is what BNF is waiting for.