Max Goodwin, Lincoln National Forest District Ranger, verified in a telephone interview that the ESA regulations are so inflexible that the fire hazards they create will accelerate, not only in the Lincoln National Forest, but indeed on public lands across America. Utility Companies have the right to clear a 30 foot swath of brush on their easement. The problem is that in a mile of forest there are hundreds of tall trees that could blow across power lines in a strong wind. Our hands are tied by court injunctions and the ESA that primarily protects the spotted owl. The tree that sparked the Scott-Able fire obviously would have been termed as such.
Aspens have a very shallow root system and are frequently uprooted in high winds.
However, under prevailing Forest Service regulations, if the tree was living and over 24 inches in diameter, it could have not been removed. Mershon sees a tremendous benefit in using a common sense approach in removing any trees that could fall across the utility lines. If we could remove the timber that poses a threat, not only would it prevent future electrical fires, but would be an effective firebreak. The ESA provided fuel in plenty for the Scott-Able fire as it does for wildfires across the West. Logging has been largely shut down since the spotted owl was listed.