CA Gov. Newsom On Wildfire Devastation: Impact Of Climate Change Cannot Be Denied

[herring_RN]

As firefighters battle dozens of deadly wildfires across California, Governor Gavin Newsom warns that climate change is a fundamental part of the crisis. Fires along the West Coast have destroyed towns and forced tens of thousands of evacuations.

 

[Daisy4RN]

As you may note this was written over a year ago with Newsom stating things would finally get done, but hmmn, I guess it didn't. I care just as much as y'all do about the people affected by these continued fires! I just see that it is the Dem run Calif gov that is making them worse than they need to be. Forest mismanagement has been going on for decades for a number of reasons bc of Calif rules/regs/lawsuits etc. If Trump was able to come in and over rule all these issues than so was Obama/Biden in the 8 yrs before him.

"The Cal Fire and LAO reports present a real world picture identifying that California’s government and regulatory agencies are responsible for the present terrible condition of California’s forests along with the resulting increased wildfire risks and occurrences. "

"The state has established a huge gauntlet of regulatory agencies whose policies, procedures and actions have interfered with, misdirected, wasted and delayed the use of appropriate resources that have led to the present forest management and wildfire catastrophe"

"..federal and state agencies have developed certain arrangements to collaborate on management activities across California’s forests. For example, federal law has a provision—known as the “Good Neighbor Authority”—that allows states to fund and implement forest health projects on federally owned land. As discussed later, the federal government also funds a number of grant programs to encourage collaborative projects on both federal and nonfederal forestlands"

"Additionally the state of California has a large number of regulatory agencies whose procedures and processes have significant impacts on the ability of actions to go forward in a timely and effective manner regarding necessary forest management efforts. These numerous agencies are defined in Figure 7 below"

"The very poor forest conditions that exist today are a consequence of decades of inappropriate forest management neglect and are described as follows:..."

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/05/14/californias-government-solely-responsible-for-states-forest-management-and-w

[toomuchbaloney]

On 9/15/2020 at 3:17 PM, Daisy4RN said:

As you may note this was written over a year ago with Newsom stating things would finally get done, but hmmn, I guess it didn't. I care just as much as y'all do about the people affected by these continued fires! I just see that it is the Dem run Calif gov that is making them worse than they need to be. Forest mismanagement has been going on for decades for a number of reasons bc of Calif rules/regs/lawsuits etc. If Trump was able to come in and over rule all these issues than so was Obama/Biden in the 8 yrs before him.

"The Cal Fire and LAO reports present a real world picture identifying that California’s government and regulatory agencies are responsible for the present terrible condition of California’s forests along with the resulting increased wildfire risks and occurrences. "

"The state has established a huge gauntlet of regulatory agencies whose policies, procedures and actions have interfered with, misdirected, wasted and delayed the use of appropriate resources that have led to the present forest management and wildfire catastrophe"

"..federal and state agencies have developed certain arrangements to collaborate on management activities across California’s forests. For example, federal law has a provision—known as the “Good Neighbor Authority”—that allows states to fund and implement forest health projects on federally owned land. As discussed later, the federal government also funds a number of grant programs to encourage collaborative projects on both federal and nonfederal forestlands"

"Additionally the state of California has a large number of regulatory agencies whose procedures and processes have significant impacts on the ability of actions to go forward in a timely and effective manner regarding necessary forest management efforts. These numerous agencies are defined in Figure 7 below"

"The very poor forest conditions that exist today are a consequence of decades of inappropriate forest management neglect and are described as follows:..."

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/05/14/californias-government-solely-responsible-for-states-forest-management-and-w

Do you suppose that sharing an essay from a site committed to climate science denial actually makes your argument seem credible? I  don't.  

[macawake, MSN]

On 9/15/2020 at 3:17 PM, Daisy4RN said:

As you may note this was written over a year ago with Newsom stating things would finally get done, but hmmn, I guess it didn't. I care just as much as y'all do about the people affected by these continued fires! I just see that it is the Dem run Calif gov that is making them worse than they need to be. Forest mismanagement has been going on for decades for a number of reasons bc of Calif rules/regs/lawsuits etc. If Trump was able to come in and over rule all these issues than so was Obama/Biden in the 8 yrs before him.

"The Cal Fire and LAO reports present a real world picture identifying that California’s government and regulatory agencies are responsible for the present terrible condition of California’s forests along with the resulting increased wildfire risks and occurrences. "

"The state has established a huge gauntlet of regulatory agencies whose policies, procedures and actions have interfered with, misdirected, wasted and delayed the use of appropriate resources that have led to the present forest management and wildfire catastrophe"

"..federal and state agencies have developed certain arrangements to collaborate on management activities across California’s forests. For example, federal law has a provision—known as the “Good Neighbor Authority”—that allows states to fund and implement forest health projects on federally owned land. As discussed later, the federal government also funds a number of grant programs to encourage collaborative projects on both federal and nonfederal forestlands"

"Additionally the state of California has a large number of regulatory agencies whose procedures and processes have significant impacts on the ability of actions to go forward in a timely and effective manner regarding necessary forest management efforts. These numerous agencies are defined in Figure 7 below"

"The very poor forest conditions that exist today are a consequence of decades of inappropriate forest management neglect and are described as follows:..."

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/05/14/californias-government-solely-responsible-for-states-forest-management-and-w

Wattsupwiththat??? 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watts_Up_With_That%3F

Is it accurate to say that you are quoting a blog that promotes climate change denial as support for your opinion that California’s forests are mismanaged? I don’t think that has much of a chance in convincing people who are trained to look for evidence-based facts.

Do you personally accept the scientific consensus regarding climate change or are you in denial as well? 

[macawake, MSN]

On 9/14/2020 at 10:36 PM, Daisy4RN said:

Perhaps you missed the title of the thread and all the other posts,  geez

The Native Americans routinely cleared the land to prevent these fire catastrophes, apparently it is the Dem gov that cant seem to get it together.

The Fed gov has been giving money to Calif but bc of all the bureaucrats, red tape, and special interest group's lawsuits nothing gets done in the way of forest management. Not to mention utility companies not updating their equipment while simultaneously charging 3x the price for servives in other states.

But yeah, lets go ahead and blame Trump just like the Dems do for everything else even though it is their incompetence and regulations. 

I didn’t miss the title. And it was for that exact reason that I expressed dismay that you chose the partisan Democrat-bashing route. 

OP didn’t blame Trump. The title mentioned the impact of climate change. Mankind’s harmful effect on the environment started long before the Trump presidency. His policies haven’t done anything at all to try to slow down global warming, but he didn’t cause it.

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

In a 45-Day Report to Governor Gavin Newsom in response to Executive Order N-05-19 CAL FIRE systematically identified high priority fuels reduction projects and other measures to immediately begin to protect over 200 of California's most wildfire-vulnerable communities and put the state on a path toward long-term wildfire prevention and forest health:   https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1.8.19-EO-N-05-19.pdf

Quote

The 45 Day Report Prepared by: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Executive Summary:  California experienced the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in its history in 2017 and 2018. Fueled by drought, an unprecedented buildup of dry vegetation and extreme winds, the size and intensity of these wildfires caused the loss of more than 100 lives, destroyed thousands of homes and exposed millions of urban and rural Californians to unhealthy air.

Climate change, an epidemic of dead and dying trees, and the proliferation of new homes in the wildland urban interface (WUI) magnify the threat and place substantially more people and property at risk than in preceding decades. More than 25 million acres of California wildlands are classified as under very high or extreme fire threat, extending that risk over half the state...

...  It is important to note that California faces a massive backlog of forest management work. Millions of acres are in need of treatment, and this work— once completed—must be repeated over the years. Also, while fuels treatment such as forest thinning and creation of fire breaks can help reduce fire severity, wind-driven wildfire events that destroy lives and property will very likely still occur. This report’s recommendations on priority fuel reduction projects and administrative, regulatory, and policy changes can protect our most vulnerable communities in the short term and place California on a trajectory away from increasingly destructive fires and toward more a moderate and manageable fire regime....

...   The Cal Fire report admitted that that state's forest management efforts have "not kept pace with these growing threats (of climate change). Despite good forest management work completed by the state and federal government and private landowners each year, our collective forest management work each year is currently inadequate to improve the health of millions of acres of forests and wildlands that require it."...

https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/5584/45-day-report-final.pdf

 

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

Issued on: November 12, 2018: President Donald J. Trump Approves California Disaster Declaration

President Donald J. Trump declared that a major disaster exists in the State of California and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by wildfires beginning on November 8, 2018, and continuing. The President’s action makes Federal funding available in the counties of Butte, Los Angeles, and Ventura…

…   Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide...

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2019-04-05/california-adopts-wildfire-prevention-strategies-invokes-state-of-emergency 

Too bad he rescinded his offer in January

 

[Daisy4RN]

On 9/15/2020 at 4:22 PM, macawake said:

Wattsupwiththat??? 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watts_Up_With_That%3F

Is it accurate to say that you are quoting a blog that promotes climate change denial as support for your opinion that California’s forests are mismanaged? I don’t think that has much of a chance in convincing people who are trained to look for evidence-based facts.

Do you personally accept the scientific consensus regarding climate change or are you in denial as well? 

From the website:

"While I have a skeptical view of certain climate issues, I consider myself “green” in many ways, and I promote the idea of energy savings and alternate energy generation. Unlike many who just talk about it,"

Apparently he doesn't believe everything the used to be main stream news and Al Gore types say, doesn't mean they "promote climate change denial" even though wikipedia says so, go figure.

Again, the only people who think that some sites are "alternative" is probably bc they only listen to and/or believe what the news says. Feel free to do your own research and check the writers facts. 

As he pointed out (as well as others), Cal has mismanaged the funds and botched the process so why shouldn't Trump hold taxpayers money (from the rest of the country) until Cal gets its act together. Meanwhile Cal is free to act on their own, and should have been with its own resources, for decades.  

Trump certainly is not to blame for Calif (which is run by Dems) not doing much for years/decades. 

And, btw, I am not in denial about anything!

[Daisy4RN]

4 hours ago, toomuchbaloney said:

 The flaw in that Trumpian logic is so huge you could drive the Trump train through it...

Speaking of trains, Calif also has a train to nowhere that they have dumped millions of dollars into that could have been spent on forest management.

And Calif also recieved billions of dollars from the Fed gov (ie taxpayers) that they mismanaged for their train to nowhere.

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

AGREEMENT FOR SHARED STEWARDSHIP OF CALIFORNIA’S FOREST AND RANGELANDS Between the STATE OF CALIFORNIA And the USDA, FOREST SERVICE PACIFIC SOUTHWEST REGION

This MOU establishes a joint framework to enhance science-based forest and rangeland stewardship in California. The U.S. Forest Service and the State of California commit to maintain and restore healthy forests and rangelands that reduce public safety risks, protect natural and built infrastructure, and enhance ecological habitat and biological diversity. The Parties agree to develop shared tools, coordinated processes, and innovative approaches to increase the pace, scale, and effectiveness of forest and rangeland stewardship in California....

...   The Parties commit to the following actions to advance shared stewardship opportunities:

1. Treat One Million Acres per Year: The Parties will scale up vegetation treatment to one million acres of forest and wildlands annually by 2025, committing to each sustainably treat 500,000 acres per year. Treatments will follow a joint plan and will be driven by public safety and ecological goals including reducing wildfire impacts in high priority areas and maintaining or restoring healthy, resilient forests and rangelands.
2. Develop a Joint Plan: The Parties will develop a coordinated, statewide, 20-year project plan by 2021 for forest and vegetation management. This plan will be based on landscape level analysis, risk assessment and other relevant methods and will be updated at five-year intervals. This plan will be captured on a master map that includes recently completed, ongoing and planned vegetation management and forest thinning projects across State, Federal and private landowners. This project map will overlay landscape level risk assessments including ecological, wildfire and community risks, identifying any gaps and highlighting the highest priority areas. The Parties will consult with, and seek input from, tribal governments, local governments, other state and federal agencies, NGOs and other stakeholders in developing and updating this map. This map will be shared publicly to foster coordinated planning, dialogue and feedback among community and environmental stakeholders.
3. Use Sustainable Vegetation Treatments: The Parties will use science-based management to ensure vegetation treatment tools are ecologically appropriate to specific vegetation and landscapes. Treatments will include thinning in excessively dense stands, timber harvesting, mechanical fuel reduction, prescribed fire, grazing, and reforestation. a. Expand Prescribed Fire: Expanding and accelerating the use of prescribed fire is key to effective stewardship at scale. The Parties will build public awareness about prescribed fire and develop tools to support expanding natural fire on the landscape. b. World Class Research Forests: To effectively monitor treatment types and climate change, the Parties will establish a world-class monitoring and research program. Coordinating and expanding the existing network of 50-plus experimental forests in California, the Parties will partner with state and national parks, universities, and nonprofits. Future sites can focus on non-forested areas like Southern California chaparral systems, ensuring that treatments are ecologically appropriate for nonconifer ecosystems.
4. Expand Forest Management and Associated Infrastructure: To increase the pace and scale of forest stewardship, especially for small landowners, the entire infrastructure behind forestry and vegetation management will need to expand, including the workforce, investments in projects and equipment, and technical support for small landowners to manage their land. a. Improve Sustainable Timber Harvest: Californians purchase 7 billion board feet of lumber annually, but only 2 billion board feet is produced in the state. Given that California has some of the highest environmental standards for timber harvest in the world, producing California lumber could decrease demand for timber harvested with lower ecological standards. Given California’s increasing housing needs and greenhouse gas emission goals, California has a direct interest in consuming ecologically sourced lumber. Improving ecologically and financially sustainable timber harvest in California will support rural economies, reduce transportation emissions from imported lumber, stem conversion of forestland to developments, improve air and water quality, promote carbon sequestration, protect biodiversity and most importantly reduce wildfire risk...

https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/8.12.20-CA-Shared-Stewardship-MOU.pdf

[toomuchbaloney]

1 hour ago, Daisy4RN said:

Speaking of trains, Calif also has a train to nowhere that they have dumped millions of dollars into that could have been spent on forest management.

And Calif also recieved billions of dollars from the Fed gov (ie taxpayers) that they mismanaged for their train to nowhere.

Yikes...that was a nice pivot from offering up tripe to support your partisan views on climate change to another topic. Maybe you should start a thread about mismanagement of money and we'll compare recent activities.  Does it count as mismanagement if campaign cash gets put into family businesses and personal pockets? It will be fun to discuss that kind of stuff in another thread. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2020/08/25/trump-has-now-moved-23-million-of-campaign-donor-money-into-his-private-business/

Meanwhile, the IMPOTUS is a climate science denier and a conspiracy theory monger. 

[toomuchbaloney]

1 hour ago, Daisy4RN said:

From the website:

"While I have a skeptical view of certain climate issues, I consider myself “green” in many ways, and I promote the idea of energy savings and alternate energy generation. Unlike many who just talk about it,"

Apparently he doesn't believe everything the used to be main stream news and Al Gore types say, doesn't mean they "promote climate change denial" even though wikipedia says so, go figure.

Again, the only people who think that some sites are "alternative" is probably bc they only listen to and/or believe what the news says. Feel free to do your own research and check the writers facts. 

As he pointed out (as well as others), Cal has mismanaged the funds and botched the process so why shouldn't Trump hold taxpayers money (from the rest of the country) until Cal gets its act together. Meanwhile Cal is free to act on their own, and should have been with its own resources, for decades.  

Trump certainly is not to blame for Calif (which is run by Dems) not doing much for years/decades. 

And, btw, I am not in denial about anything!

The best way to not be viewed as a potential climate science denier is to avoid sharing and defending the views and opinions of climate deniers.  I would argue that you are in denial about Trump's incompetence and dishonesty as well as the threat he poses to our republic. 

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

Meet The Climate Denial Machine

 ...   Anthony Watts, a former television weatherman and climate skeptic who believes the U.S. temperature record is "unreliable," runs the blog Watts Up With That. The blog features the fringe views of climate misinformers like Christopher Monckton and Fred Singer as guest authors and conservative media have previously seized on its misleading content.

In 2009, Watts was a driving force behind the controversy over leaked “Climategate” emails. In September 2012, he was at the center of a controversial PBS segment that aired his views as a “counterbalance” to climate experts without mentioning his ties to the industry-funded Heartland Institute. Watts was paid by the Heartland Institute for his work on temperature stations and is a regular speaker at Heartland conferences...

https://www.mediamatters.org/rush-limbaugh/meet-climate-denial-machine#watts  

MORE LINKS regarding Anthony Watts and climate denial and/or skepticism:

https://www.desmogblog.com/heartland-institute-exposed-internal-documents-unmask-heart-climate-denial-machine

https://sourcewatch.org/images/4/4d/Anthony_Watts.pdf

https://www.desmogblog.com/anthony-watts

https://wattsupwiththat.com/about2/

https://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/surfacestationsreport_spring09.pdf

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/fox-tries-debunk-global-warming-fails-miserably#watts

https://www.mediamatters.org/pbs/pbs-newshour-propagates-confusion-climate-change

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/02/15/some-notes-on-the-heartland-leak/

Quote

...   Anthony Watts: “I, at one time, was was very much embracing the whole concept that we had a real problem, we had to do something about it. Back in 1988, James Hansen actually was the impetus for that for me, in his presentation before congress.

But as I learned more and more about the issue, I discovered that maybe it's not as bad as it's made out to be. Some of it is hype. But there's also some data that has not been explored, and there's been some investigations that need to be done that haven't been done. And so now I'm in the camp of we have some global warming, no doubt about it, but it may not be as bad as we originally thought because there are other contributing factors.”...

Watts believes much of the data used to support global warming theories is faulty. The big problem, as Watts sees it, is that the stations were temperatures are gathered are too close to urban developments where heat is soaked up and distorts the readings. So it looks like the earth is warming though it may not be.

https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=UmIJCGQzCiU

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/