Many politicians and the timber industry are now embracing this idea of increased logging as a remedy for the fire epidemic. The timber industry and their benefactors in Congress are promoting a massive 'thinning' program under the guise of reducing fire risk that takes advantage of public fears and misconceptions. Thinning' by the timber industry involves the clear-cutting of the largest, most fire resistant trees. Thinning' is no solution. Ms. McKinney offered her own advice on how best to respond to the wildfires.
Fire is a natural and unavoidable component of forests.
We can reduce the damage of unnatural fires by focusing our assistance in the wildlands-urban interface zones. Chopping down trees miles from where anyone lives is a ploy to give corporate welfare to the timber industry at the expense of all Americans. If we are serious about protecting American families from the dangers of wildfire, we must protect the areas immediately adjacent to people's homes and businesses. It sickens me to see elected officials betray the trust and confidence of the public by pandering to the timber industry. Restoration money will be disastrous if this becomes another program to increase logging in national forests and line the pockets of the timber industry with our tax dollars.