posted by Jack
In October 2018, just under two years before the deadly Bear Fire leveled Berry Creek, the community was selected to receive an $836,000 state grant for pruning vegetation and clearing fuel from potential fire spots. However, strict environmental red tape delayed the grant and in the meantime Berry Creek was burned to the ground. Can’t blame this on climate change – this one belongs to the democrats.
Strangled by delays and red tape, the forest management project was never completed, said local officials, who are now left to stew over the what-ifs.
“I can’t guarantee that it would’ve stopped the fire, but it would have given them a place to fight it,” said Bill Connelly, a Butte County supervisor representing the district that includes Berry Creek. “It very much could have made a difference.”
The grant was meant to go toward vegetation thinning and pruning projects near Bald Rock and Rockefeller roads — key evacuation routes — and Lake Madrone, an area that became ground zero of the North Complex Fire.
The delay, Butte County officials said, was due to stringent environmental reviews, despite this being exactly the kind of fire-prevention work at the forefront of the state’s wildfire conversation.
It’s impossible to know whether the grant could have saved Berry Creek from a disaster like the North Complex, which has burned more than 273,000 acres and been blamed for 15 deaths — but officials said it might have at least given the community a fighting chance.
You could only hope that current Gov. Newsome could learn.
Tahoe’s Angora fire in 2007 was only 3100 acres, not even close to what is happening now, but lessons were learned and action taken by then Gov Schwarzenegger.
The TRPA (Tahoe Regional Planning Agency) even more anal headed prior to the Angora fire, did not allow defensible space cleanup, including not being able to remove low hanging limbs from trees or removing trees growing too close to homes.
At the same time, the TRPA were attempting to fine one of the people who had trimmed up limbs, removed pine needles and pine cones, etc (created defensible space) at his house. When the fire swept through the North Upper Truckee streets, his house, and three houses directly downwind of his were spared . All other houses in the neighborhood were burned down.
This came to the attention of Gov Schwarzenegger when he toured the burn area, who then called for the TRPA to immediately drop the fine, and change its ideas about defensible space, tree trimming, and tree cutting.
Eventually, authority was given over to Cal Fire (and similarly to the Nevada fire agencies) to determine defensible space and allow for removal of trees, brush, pine needles, cones, etc. in addition to starting to thin the forests and have controlled burns.
What does it take for current Government leadership to use proven methods of fire prevention in California. Or are liberals truly that anal headed as many suspect, or more interested in fanny kissing support from the EPA.
Both equally share responsible for the devastating fires of late.