Remove kindling prevents fires

Kootenai National Forest Ranger  Kirsten Kaiser recently signed a decision to log timber several miles away from the homes in the Yaak areas telling the public that the reason was “to reduce hazardous fuels.”

 Dr. Jack Cohen (a fire physicist employed by the U.S. Forest Service) spent his entire career developing methods to reduce the risk that homes will burn. His research conclusions show it’s more effective to remove kindling — like fine fuels within 300 feet of a home rather than logging large trees several miles away.  www.saveamericasforests.org/congress/Fire/Cohen.htm

 Kaiser did not analyze a Dr. Cohen alternative for the South Fork Fuels project. Why? She knows that if she were to implement a Dr. Cohen alternative there would be no logging and they would have a more difficult time “getting out the cut.”

 Please contact Ranger Kaiser and tell her that your home and family’s safety is more important than meeting his her timber goals. Ask her to write a new analysis that includes an alternative that eliminates fine fuels near your home.

— Dick Artley (USFS retired)

Grangeville, Idaho