Sonoma County, CA here. My father worked in a State role allied with Cal-Fire (formerly Cal Dept. of Forestry) and he directly assisted with permitting and monitoring of prescribed burns.
His anecdotal take (which is not mentioned in the article) was that in the 90s and early 2000s, prescribed burns were very common (even as a kid i remember this). However, as more and more individuals started moving into the County from other areas, the number of complaints about the smoke from prescribed burns rose and the permit issuing process became more fraught with environmental reviews (air quality impact specifically) & red-tape.
I am 100% convinced that the lack of prescribed burns is the issue up here in Nor-Cal - they are rare compared to what I remember as a kid (several per month).
I spend an ungodly amount on weed abatement at my farm. We could also use goats for weed eating.
Just because we have a lot of surface land doesn’t mean it can be inhabited ..ca is building indiscriminately. Human settlements next to wild areas with fire hazard is the dumbest thing.
With a clueless young voting population, a state agenda to hound more and more and a desire to get rid of CEQA makes people forget that land doesn’t not always mean dwelling. Dwelling also includes environment and its limitations.
We are building homes ..and at high density..where land and forests should be allowed to be wild and untamed. There is a delicate balance. Forest fires are cyclical and periodical. This happens everywhere (think Scotland and heather burns) and controlled fires are essential. You can’t do that if there are real estate developments everywhere. There is such a thing as ecosphere and we must remember that we are part of it.
They require more time as they are slow burning and require the right conditions. Far less likely to impact wildlife.
While there has been a lot of talk about it in regards to Australian bushfires: Native American indians also had a history of prescribed burning in the Sierra Nevada.
Yes..the native Americans(blackfoot, iirc) used to burn grasslands time a stubble to stimulate new growth for bison to graze..the bison were herded in tight groups and their stomping and dung created a grass mat...it’s those controlled burning and tight bison runs that later resulted in the most beautiful soil in this country.
It’s a system with many parts. We are part of the system. Industrial Ag and factory farming and CAFOs have destroyed the equations that kept everything in balance.
There's some awesome scientific knowledge behind these practices developed over a time period far longer than modern farming practice. Yet we seem to think we know better. Industrial Ag/short-term profiteering have a lot to answer for.
His anecdotal take (which is not mentioned in the article) was that in the 90s and early 2000s, prescribed burns were very common (even as a kid i remember this). However, as more and more individuals started moving into the County from other areas, the number of complaints about the smoke from prescribed burns rose and the permit issuing process became more fraught with environmental reviews (air quality impact specifically) & red-tape.
I am 100% convinced that the lack of prescribed burns is the issue up here in Nor-Cal - they are rare compared to what I remember as a kid (several per month).