Folks,

I'm not a Sierra Club member, but I thought it would be a good idea to post their position on the fires since they've been blamed for the decline and fall of western civilization lately.

Cheers,

Spider

Background Information From the Sierra Club's Press Statement, June 25, 2002

Statement From Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope On Current Forest Fires

Some public officials have tried to blame environmentalists for the forest fires that are ravaging Colorado, Arizona and other Western states. These attempts to scapegoat environmentalists are a disturbing display of cynical politics. First of all, the Sierra Club wants all necessary federal resources possible to be dedicated to protecting affected families and communities. The Sierra Club is deeply concerned for the people affected by giant fires like those burning in Colorado and Arizona. Once the immediate danger is over, then we can discuss how to avoid these tragedies in the future.

Scientists have determined these fire problems stem from three problems: nearly a century of fire suppression that removed the natural role fire plays in healthy forests, an extreme multi-year drought and decades of commercial logging that removed large, fire-resistant trees.

For years the Sierra Club has been urging the Forest Service to do more prescribed burning, to reduce flammable brush near threatened communities, and we've been asking Congress to devote more money to do the job right.

The Forest Service has not been hampered from preventing fires by thousands of lawsuits. Congress' own General Accounting Office found that of 1,671 'fuel reduction' projects last year, only one percent were appealed, and none were brought to court.

Misleading and politically motivated accusations won't stop these tragedies -- responsible and far-thinking policies will."

Thanks for posting that, Spyder!
I'd like to take this opportunity to reitterate for everyone (including myself) what Spyder said. He's not a member of Sierra Club.

I know, sometimes I get a bit emotional with some debates, but I would just like to appologize for anything that I may have said that may have been taken personal. I respect your opinion. I disagree, often, but I respect your opinion.

This is one I will disagree with mainly because there hasn't been a whole lot of truth comming out of the Sierra Club in a while.

Vor

I have to agree: thanks for posting that Spider. As far as the issues, I have yet to see a fireproof tree (since I started putting out fires in 92). The reason that all of these wildfires are becoming such a threat, isn't to the environment, it's the yahoo's building their dream homes in the middle of the forests. We are there to save their lives and property first, then save the natural resources. The Sierra Club, via their lobbying, has handcuffed our supression efforts with some of their ridiculous rules for where, when, and how we can employ different methods of containment. Guess we all just have to learn how to get along. Mike

I'd like to point out that the reason the Sierra Club can say they didn't file "thousands of lawsuits" is because they have the CBD file most of their lawsuits for them. It's a well known fact that the CBD is the hired gun for the Sierra Club. That way the Sierra Club doesn't get a bad reputation with the average public who live with blinders on.

That reads like total public relations propaganda. Kind of SOP for the 'ganggreen'.

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It's a well known fact that the CBD is the hired gun for the Sierra Club.

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I've never heard that. can you back up your claim?