Calaveras Enterprise

August 13, 2002

Californians watched in horror as a catastrophic fire, allegedly sparked by an errant campground fire, spread through more than 112,000 acres of the beautiful and productive Sequoia National Forest.

While an illegal campfire may be the initial cause of the McNalley Fire, restrictive environmental laws clearly fueled the flames. Forestry officials point to self-anointed radical preservationists as the real culprit responsible for this fire. The weapons of choice are countless appeals and lawsuits against the U.S. Forest Service. Radical environmentalists are using the court system to wage war against sensible forest management, such as reasonable efforts to thin forests of underbrush and excessive fuels.

"Eight years of bending to pressure from the well-funded 'environmental' lobby has resulted in forest conditions that promise chaos in California's timberland," said an unnamed forest official "The McNalley Fire is but a prelude to even more catastrophic fires to come."

On Friday, Aug. 16, Assemblyman Dave Cogdill will be hosting the Second Annual Natural Resources Summit at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds' Sierra Hall in Sonora. Rep. George Radanovich, who represents several of our rural communities in Congress, will address the importance of solving the forest crisis. Radanovich, who lives in the Mother Lode, has authored legislation to release all National Forest land, including the Stanislaus National Forest, from restrictive laws that fuel destructive wildfires.

Also providing insight this year will be Regional Forester Jack Blackwell. Topics to be discussed include the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment, urban-wildlife interface, fire ecology, protection of wildlife habitat, and important community perspectives.

Following the summit, Assemblyman Cogdill has arranged for U.S. Forest Service staff to be available to take public comment regarding the Sierra Nevada Framework.

The summit promises to be an exciting and informative event. We hope you will be

able to attend. For more information, please contact Cogdill at (209) 576-6425.