Rural Fuel Reduction Employment

A 2001 report by Resource Innovations - a precursor to its more recent research - found that wildfires have a greater impact on poor people than other community members. Rural, low-income households are often located far from help. A breadwinner working two jobs probably doesn't have time to get to volunteer fire training or clear brush, never mind apply for a brush-clearing grant. A homeowner or renter may not be able to afford insurance, or have the capital to recover from a catastrophic loss. And some people in rural areas don't want help, don't want to be disturbed, and don't want any contact with the government. As Oshana Catranides - director of the Lomakatsi Restoration Project, the nonprofit that assisted Chatterton - puts it, "People live out here because they like their privacy."

I have had the recent pleasure of cooperating with Lomakatsi in Tiller and can relate to this problem first hand. There is a large opportunity to train local people to do environmentally friendly fules reduction, if the return of the investment is used to feed the local communities rather than the US Treasury. Timber is not the only forest product, but small diameter wood is logistically tough due to excess handling and impossible trasport logistics. But burning slash is so unfreasible and cogen in the middle of nowhere is unlikely. These logistics are solvable and things may start to move.

A capital infusion would make a huge amount of difference - i can think of three significant endeavors that would be benefitted greatly by local analytical capacity. But - we still can't cut trees on federal land and federal land is 53% of the land base in this county. The federal govt. doesn't pay real estate tax - too much local burden and no local management control. ahem? ahem??

The photo features the Penny Stew Restoration done by the Lomakatsi Restoration Project. In the deep background you can see unthinned forest. Small diameter and non-desired competition was removed - 65% lowered volume - with oak/madrone savanah being the desired condition. Not doghaired conifer.

Another group led by Orville Camp from Selma has a natural selection based management process that is also developing. If local communities take different approaches, then demonstration of best management techniques can be compared to actually create definition for the term best. Currently, best means whatever is currently done here, now.