Yes, well, I don't mean to be saying we should set them, though that
is what my backcountry USFS firefighter colleagues were doing in the
Prescott NF back in '75. (They were bored with none to fight.)
        I do mean to say that I would rather see them burn than be clearcut,
that's all. And my biogeographer tells me that clearcutting is indeed worse
than burning, for the health of the forest. Most forest inhabitants are able
to move around a fire, except for the really hot, big ones, which are
generally human set or the result of too much ground litter and understory,
which itself is a result of too much  fire control over many years.
        The problem I do see with extensive burning is the release of CO2
and reduction in CO2 storage capacity. Also I think ancient forests should
be preserved, some of mid-aged ones logged or thinned carefully, by
skidding, but snags left standing.
        What we don't need to be doing is cutting down our forests so we can
export lumber to Japan for use as concrete forms, or to be chipped up for
composite products. Scrap lumber (old forms) could be used for that, and
tree farms managed for growth to provide plank lumber, which is and will
continue to be more and more rare as a building material. And it should be
rare, and more respected for what it is, nice things made from it.
        Hope you are well.
-Tc
Anthony R. S. Chiaviello, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Professional Writing
Department of English
University of Houston-Downtown
One Main Street
Houston, TX 77002-0001
713.221.8520 / 713.868.3979
"Question Reality"

> ----------
> From:         Steve[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent:         Saturday, February 17, 2001 4:04 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: State Sponsored Ecoterror
>
> Tony,
>
> You are missing the point.  Sometime forest fires are good, sometimes they
> aren't.  Running around and burning something down which could cause a
> forest fire shouldn't be hailed because of the flawed view that all forest
> fires are good.
>
> Steve
>
>
>
>
> --- "Chiaviello, Anthony" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > Didn't Indians start plenty of fires? I believe the forests were in
> > pretty
> > good shape when Europeans arrived. How does the source affect the
> > effect?
> > -Tc
> > Anthony R. S. Chiaviello, Ph.D.
> > Assistant Professor, Professional Writing
> > Department of English
> > University of Houston-Downtown
> > One Main Street
> > Houston, TX 77002-0001
> > 713.221.8520 / 713.868.3979
> > "Question Reality"
> >
> > > ----------
> > > From:         Steve[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> > > Sent:         Friday, February 16, 2001 11:08 PM
> > > To:   [log in to unmask]
> > > Subject:      Re: State Sponsored Ecoterror
> > >
> > > Well in the time I have been here on the list I have learned that yes
> > > forest fires can be a good thing.  However, I think some of the
> > foresters
> > > on the list might disagree that fires started by man are good.
> > >
> > > Oh well guess I'll just tell Smokey the Bear to shove it, eh?
> > >
> > > Steve
> > > Hi ho, hi ho,
> > > Its of to work I go...to start a forest fire.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- "Chiaviello, Anthony" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > > > Hey, forest fires are good for the forest, needed for regeneration.
> > I'd
> > > > much
> > > > rather see a forest burn than see it clearcut (Ideally, I'd like to
> > see
> > > > forestry be one out of five trees, individually counted and skidded
> > out
> > > > by
> > > > mule or helicopter, but the profit is slim, though there are those
> > who
> > > > do
> > > > make a living at it - one in Alberta that I know of, another written
> > up
> > > > 2
> > > > weeks ago in High Country News).
> > > > -Tc
> > > > Anthony R. S. Chiaviello, Ph.D.
> > > > Assistant Professor, Professional Writing
> > > > Department of English
> > > > University of Houston-Downtown
> > > > One Main Street
> > > > Houston, TX 77002-0001
> > > > 713.221.8520 / 713.868.3979
> > > > "Question Reality"
> > > >
> > > > > ----------
> > > > > From:         Steve[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> > > > > Sent:         Thursday, February 15, 2001 11:12 PM
> > > > > To:   [log in to unmask]
> > > > > Subject:      Re: State Sponsored Ecoterror
> > > > >
> > > > > While we are casting national aspersions here let us not forget
> > that
> > > > the
> > > > > Japanese were generally not nice conquerers either.  The rape of
> > > > Nanking
> > > > > comes to mind.
> > > > >
> > > > > > I am simply stating this terrorism-- is wrong, it
> > > > > > causes damage to people, sometimes the environment
> > > > >
> > > > > Interesting point.  Is burning down something that one feels is a
> > > > threat
> > > > > to the environment good for the environment?  What about burning
> > down
> > > > > say...oh I don't know...a ski lodge and risking the burning of
> > > > hundreds or
> > > > > even thousands of acres of forest?  Is that a good thing.  John
> > feels
> > > > > quite strongly about Weyerhauser cutting down trees what about an
> > > > ELFer
> > > > > who tries to burn down a ski lodge only to have a large forest
> > fire
> > > > > result?
> > > > >
> > > > > Steve
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > =====
> > > > > "In a nutshell, he [Steve] is 100% unadulterated evil. I do not
> > > > believe in
> > > > > a 'Satan', but this man is as close to 'the real McCoy' as they
> > come."
> > > > > --Jamey Lee West
> > > > >
> > > > > __________________________________________________
> > > > > Do You Yahoo!?
> > > > > Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35
> > > > > a year!  http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
> > > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > =====
> > > "In a nutshell, he [Steve] is 100% unadulterated evil. I do not
> > believe in
> > > a 'Satan', but this man is as close to 'the real McCoy' as they come."
> > > --Jamey Lee West
> > >
> > > __________________________________________________
> > > Do You Yahoo!?
> > > Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35
> > > a year!  http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
> > >
>
>
> =====
> "In a nutshell, he [Steve] is 100% unadulterated evil. I do not believe in
> a 'Satan', but this man is as close to 'the real McCoy' as they come."
> --Jamey Lee West
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35
> a year!  http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
>