U.S. Forest Service’s Top Priority: Healthy Forest

The issue of a healthy forest is now the number one priority of the U.S. Forest Service, so says Stanislaus Forest Supervisor Tom Quinn.

The recent revision of the Sierra Nevada Framework regional management plan and President Bush´s national Healthy Forest Restoration Act is pushing the forest service to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire.

Problem is — where´s the funding to do the work?

“Right now, there´s no funding that comes automatically with those, but I think what will come about is broader-scale public recognition of the importance of implementing projects out on the ground in the name of forest health, and I think the funding will come.”

Quinn says additional revenue could come from increased logging and fuels reduction projects.

“Using the revenue from that saw log material to leverage, if you will, to accomplish more areas of fuels reduction in areas that don´t have merchantable timber.”

Quinn talks about this and other forest issues as our guest this Sunday morning on Mother Lode Views.