This is how I see it;
Article by Rudy Herndon, front page of the Humboldt Sun March 23 - 26, 2012. Titled, "Regional Foresters move Paradise fire engine to Elko."
I have to agree with Jim French when he made the statement in the article. "The 800-pound gorilla in the room that we can't ignore."
Jim, that gorilla is now the size of King Kong. We have trusted the federal land management agencies to over see and protect our public lands. I am not only talking about the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Santa Rosa District but all of the western part of the United States.
Their agenda is to close more of our public lands off to the public one way or the other. The single vehicle fire strike force stationed in Paradise, now moved to Elko is only a small cog in a very large wheel.
The federal land managers don't give a hoot about reducing the threat of catastrophic wildfires, the habitat, or population of the sage grouse, or the extinction of the species.
These items are just a few of the many tools in their bag of tricks to close down more of our federally controlled land at any cost.
Let me here try to make a point, while living in Elko in the early 1960s the BLM went on a kick to convince the cattle ranchers and anyone who would lend an ear: "We have a very large erosion problem here in Nevada and surrounding states that needs to be addressed. To stabilize the mass erosion of our lands we need to introduce a form of vegetation growth to not only stabilize the ground but will be beneficial to the cattle industry as feed for their livestock."
Their solution was to drill and plant cheatgrass on many hundreds of thousands of acres of private and public lands. We all know the outcome of that decision, a plant destructive to the native vegetation and a plant cattle prefer not to eat. The spread of this noxious and invasive plant has led to some of the worst fires Nevada has seen since Nevada became a state.
Now back to their agenda, the closing of more public lands to the hunters, prospecting, backcountry travel, camping and other recreational activities. Example; Plant cheatgrass, it will spread and take over the native grasses, plants, and destroy much of the habitat needed for the survival of deer and sage grouse. What the cheatgrass doesn't take over it provides for fire fodder. Take a long look at Humboldt County over the past 10 or so years, fires and the loss of much-needed native vegetation and habitat. Then listen to the cattle ranchers cry after the wool was pulled over their eyes by our public land managers 60 years ago.
Now back to my original point. Destroy native vegetation and habitat, declare birds and other animals to be listed on the endangered species act list and close down more of the public lands to recreation, grazing and mining. Then make sure you remove more much needed equipment and man power from the affected areas needed to control fires that destroy the much-needed native vegetation and habitat.
The 800-pound gorilla is now King Kong and is out of that room, we can't ignore it any longer. We need more, not less fire protection from the BLM and Forest Service to control the problem they created.
Forrest B. Heyne is a resident of Paradise Hills.
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