We oppose absolutely the removal of thousands upon thousands of trees from our forests on public and private lands in the name of wildfire mitigation.
We believe:
- The massive cutting of live healthy trees in our forests is not aligned with current science and is the antithesis of sustainability and the character of our wild wooded region.
- Creative, less destructive, science-based fire mitigation alternatives exist.
- The untidy nature of our healthy forests provides invaluable and irreplaceable natural beauty and crucial ecosystems for wildlife habitat, soil building, heat reduction and carbon sequestration, which reduce the harmful effects of climate change.
- Cutting trees in the name of wildfire mitigation should not qualify for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act.
We will not support a legacy of environmental degradation and outmoded thinking that compounds 130 years of forest mismanagement and ignores science supporting far superior fire mitigation practices.
We demand that the millions of dollars being spent to cut down trees in our forests be reallocated to projects that employ methods and techniques proven to protect lives, homes, water, soil and forest health.