Re: Forest in Crisis

Burn, baby, burn. We need to get the forests back to a healthy state, and fire is the way to do it. Just clearing the underbrush isn't enough by itself. First of all, the process of clearing is very destructive: temporary roads are blazed, kicking up dust, displacing the top soil and ruining new growth, and the noise and pollution is terrible. Fires not only clear the underbrush, they enrich the topsoil and in many cases are necessary for seeds to germinate under the heat. Manual clearing cannot do that. Buildings in the way will need to be protected by clearing the area around them and preparing the residents. But if no steps are taken now, these buildings are virtually guaranteed to be destroyed by future uncontrollable blazes.