On April 3, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, citing an emergency caused by “uncharacteristically severe wildfires, insect and disease outbreaks, invasive species, and other stressors” issued a memorandum opening up 112,646,000 acres of national forest land (59% of the country’s total national forest acreage) to logging. The memorandum, signed by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, includes a map indicating that all of Southern California’s local forests will be subject to the new order. These include the Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County, which surround the town of Ojai; the Angeles National Forest, just north of Los Angeles and home to the San Gabriel Wilderness Area; and the San Bernardino National Forest, home to Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear. Overall, the order would impact all 18 of California’s national forests – the most of any state in the country.
While the memo indicates that “The Forest Service will work with State and local partners and federally recognized Tribes to collaboratively align with their respective priorities,” it also states that “the Forest Service may carry out authorized emergency actions after an ESD is declared to achieve relief from threats to public health and safety, critical infrastructure, and/or mitigation of threats to natural resources on NFS lands,” which would seem to indicate that no such cooperation is required. Also, while the memo states that “National Forests are in crisis due to uncharacteristically severe wildfires”, nowhere is climate change acknowledged to be a reason for that severity.
The contention that heavy logging is what is required to prevent wildfires is widely disputed. According to Forest Keeper , a conservation group dedicated to preserving national forests, “Logged sites are filled with dried-out debris and higher winds that are far more flammable than older, mature forests… Older forests contain more mature fire-resistant trees, and more moisture is stored in its soils and understory. Mature forests also reduce wind speeds-one of the biggest culprits of catastrophic wildfire.” Furthermore, tree roots – even those of dead or damaged trees – are essential in preventing catastrophic runoff and flooding into fire damaged terrain. And while careful brush clearance and removal of diseased trees are important for forest management, they are different from the heavy logging and healthy timber removal called for in the memo…