Former U.S. Forest Service chief Jack Ward Thomas said today a “quick fix” of environmental laws to overhaul management of national forests so they are less susceptible to wildfire- has a poor chance of long-term success.
Thomas told a Bend, Oregon conference on wildfire that current environmental laws have left land management agencies without the flexibility they need to manage a changing landscape.
He predicts another quick fix will trigger a political uproar and further erode the credibility of the Forest Service and other agencies. He suggested a more careful study of the issues with a more considered approach to changing the laws that govern federal land management.
This post was last modified on 01/31/2009 5:34 pm