Wildfire 2023

[Norseman]

Fires in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Early May... sigh.

https://globalnews.ca/news/9675857/a...ires-may-2023/


5-4-23:




5-5-23:

[bodywhomper]

There have been a few in California so far.

The California spotted owl has been proposed for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. The proposed listing means that federal agencies have to essentially treat it as protected for upcoming projects and serves as a “get your shot together because it’ll be fully protected in one year” for private property owners and federal agencies with ongoing projects that could be affecting the species.

In my immediate watershed, 3 fuels reductions projects have been put on hold because of this listing as they each partially overlap BLM lands. I know of another project near Arnold that is also delayed for the same reason, and I’m guessing there are 100s of thousands of acres of fuel reduction projects in planning that are also taking a step back.

The proposed listing for the Sierra population gives a proposed “exception” for fuels reduction projects, but it requires that activities follow “an established and recognized fuels and forest management plan that includes measures to minimize impacts to the California spotted owl and its habitat and results in concaervstion benefits to the California spotted owls.” Unless a very simple and easy template “plan” is developed or the US Fish and Wildlife Service alter the language of their exception, this listing is going to slow down fuels reduction activities in the Sierra. Private property owners doing fuels reduction activities in occupied habitat will be criminally violating the ESA or will need to go through the additional hoops of getting some sort of plan approved before doing work. I have multiple neighbors (including adjacent property) with suitable habitat for the species. It’s contrary to what the USFWS wants to conserve the species and hopefully they refine their exception.

My adjacent neighbor needs to do a lot of work to reduce surface and ladder fuels. If the listing is finalized and his habitat is occupied (very possible) he runs the risk of violating a federal law if he does any work in most of his 40acres, especially during the breeding season (March through August).

[telehacker]

2023
Lots of snowpack in region 4. Region 3 has been red flagged this week. Oh Canada is coming out swinging for sure. Let’s hope for zero fatalities this year. Fires and the political forces around them have tripled in my fire career.

Might be a desert NEVEda year.
Let’s compare notes in Oct, please be safe and take of your folks.

[FlimFlamvanHam]

I always chuckle at the fools and/or weather people who say things like, "finally some sun and warm temperatures coming this week." The warm temps they refer to are usually about 10°C above normal...but let's celebrate that and not think, "jeez, that's fukt up, what can we do about it?" Hey folks, you'll have all the sun and warm (freakishly hot) temps you ever wanted and then some.

The heat and dry that is coming in the next few days to BC and AB is concerning. It's May FFS.

[gravitylover]

That smoke is ruining the air here in the NY Metro. Hey Canada, take it back! This is horrible.

[Norseman]

[allmountainsnowskating]

There have been a few in California so far.

The California spotted owl has been proposed for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. The proposed listing means that federal agencies have to essentially treat it as protected for upcoming projects and serves as a “get your shot together because it’ll be fully protected in one year” for private property owners and federal agencies with ongoing projects that could be affecting the species.

In my immediate watershed, 3 fuels reductions projects have been put on hold because of this listing as they each partially overlap BLM lands. I know of another project near Arnold that is also delayed for the same reason, and I’m guessing there are 100s of thousands of acres of fuel reduction projects in planning that are also taking a step back.

The proposed listing for the Sierra population gives a proposed “exception” for fuels reduction projects, but it requires that activities follow “an established and recognized fuels and forest management plan that includes measures to minimize impacts to the California spotted owl and its habitat and results in concaervstion benefits to the California spotted owls.” Unless a very simple and easy template “plan” is developed or the US Fish and Wildlife Service alter the language of their exception, this listing is going to slow down fuels reduction activities in the Sierra. Private property owners doing fuels reduction activities in occupied habitat will be criminally violating the ESA or will need to go through the additional hoops of getting some sort of plan approved before doing work. I have multiple neighbors (including adjacent property) with suitable habitat for the species. It’s contrary to what the USFWS wants to conserve the species and hopefully they refine their exception.

My adjacent neighbor needs to do a lot of work to reduce surface and ladder fuels. If the listing is finalized and his habitat is occupied (very possible) he runs the risk of violating a federal law if he does any work in most of his 40acres, especially during the breeding season (March through August).

I've got a friend who is a professional hooter in Northern California on a team that's surveying for spotted owl. He takes his job extremely seriously and has passionately vowed to find them all.

He's a very nice dude, but I certainly wouldn't want to be on the opposing side of him.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

[Cisco Kid]

1 million new immigrants/year age 18- 25 looking for ANY work and used to manual labor. Use 1840 logging tools. Two problems mitigated. CCC made it work. Alas, it makes too much sense to happen.

[bodywhomper]

I've got a friend who is a professional hooter in Northern California on a team that's surveying for spotted owl. He takes his job extremely seriously and has passionately vowed to find them all.

He's a very nice dude, but I certainly wouldn't want to be on the opposing side of him.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

I have a friend who was very likely involved in developing the USFWS language of the proposed listing. I really want to talk with them about all of this, but they likely will not discuss the subject until the listing is completed next year.

One bright side to this is that up to now, the Forest Service has been very restricted about fuels reduction with CSO was thought to be present (because of threats of lawsuits, but the protection under the endangered species act can provide the forest service more flexibility. It’ll delay federal-sponsored projects in the short term, but should help remove a constraint for the Forests Service in the longer term.

[allmountainsnowskating]

I have a friend who was very likely involved in developing the USFWS language of the proposed listing. I really want to talk with them about all of this, but they likely will not discuss the subject until the listing is completed next year.

One bright side to this is that up to now, the Forest Service has been very restricted about fuels reduction with CSO was thought to be present (because of threats of lawsuits, but the protection under the endangered species act can provide the forest service more flexibility. It’ll delay federal-sponsored projects in the short term, but should help remove a constraint for the Forests Service in the longer term.

Wouldn't it be cool if they knew each other?

We have a similar spotted owl limbo where I'm at in Oregon, but we're in the context of recovery and repopulation - on the latter side of a wildfire.

In theory, there's no spotted owl in the burn locations because their habitat all got destroyed... but they'll be back any minute.

The biologist's reactions just seem to be awknowledging the uncertainty of the situation and postponing the conversation for later, when more information is available and agencies can give official answers. Just like your friend.

Federally funded recovery projects need to be ready to hard pivot their projects at any moment and prepare for a delay, but instead of an incoming ESA listing, it's more so hinging on whenever and wherever the first nest is rebuilt.

Thus, the projects are all scrambling to finish, and the driving reason is that they want to close out before any spotted owls return.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

[allmountainsnowskating]

I have a friend who was very likely involved in developing the USFWS language of the proposed listing. I really want to talk with them about all of this, but they likely will not discuss the subject until the listing is completed next year.

One bright side to this is that up to now, the Forest Service has been very restricted about fuels reduction with CSO was thought to be present (because of threats of lawsuits, but the protection under the endangered species act can provide the forest service more flexibility. It’ll delay federal-sponsored projects in the short term, but should help remove a constraint for the Forests Service in the longer term.

Very interesting insight... It's ironic how the ESA listing can be externally viewed as such a political action, but the reality is that it de-politicizes the situation.

Fuels reduction projects won't have to spend years lobbying and laying a bunch of political groundwork with the Ranger District to get their project off the ground because they can just do their due diligence with their NEPA review and let USFS certify yes or no on endangered species.

Seems like a common sense thing that can be done, and imo a fair resolution between the competing interests.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

[Meadow Skipper]

It’s been raining off and on in New Mexico this spring, which a very, very welcome break for us. Last year this time the Hermit/Calf Canyon fire was ripping along on its way to over 300000 acres.

Alberta seems to be getting its ass kicked right now. The snow/precip patterns in the lower 48 seem to lean toward a desert/grassland type of fire season - lots of annual grasses and such. Of course the trees will burn, maybe/hopefully not too severe. Just guessin’.

Good year to get some Rx burning done.

[bodywhomper]

Good year to get some Rx burning done.

That’s what I’m hoping for!

At home, one of my neighbors is burning 20acres this week. Basically their whole back property boundary. I’m pretty stoked! And he’s doing it before he has to deal with the additional hoop of CA spotted owl federal protection.

[yeahman]

Smoke from Alberta fires is blowing down into Montana and other states. Booooo.

[el hefe]

My daughters track and field was cancelled today from the smoke from up north. Never seen it this bad in May before.

[XXX-er]

The smoke has made it out to the narth west and its pretty hot for mid may

gona have to mtn bike now to void the heat

[aragon]

My daughters track and field was cancelled today from the smoke from up north. Never seen it this bad in May before.

Mine too...even though today seems far better than the last couple days (NW Calgary). I also have another kid home with a brutal cough that is at least partially attributable to the smoke. Sucks in general, but sucks really bad for May, as the rest of the summer could be a write off! Can't ride bikes through this smoke. This graph is ... scary:

[TBS]

Good year to get some Rx burning done.

It is in Central OR as well, esp in my ‘hood. USFS declared our little slice of paradise a high risk zone and is throwing a lot of prescribed burn resources at us. And we’ve had more days than normal where burning is within their (now more) stringent parameters.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/desch...=fseprd1070210

I live in that dark red area…

They’ve already torched about 600 acres within 10 min of my house. And did a good job of it IMO. Besides some early AM low lying smoke for a few days following, life was good.

And morel season will be da bomb next year.

[Meadow Skipper]

And morel season will be da bomb next year.

FKNA!

[TBS]

Morel season was also great the year following the 30k acre fire in my ‘hood, but this has been less dramatic

[KQ]

Smokey in the Basin today.

[gravitylover]

Hey Canada, come get your fuckn smoke and take it home would ya. This shit sux.

[TBS]

State Farm Insurance just announced they are no longer writing property/casualty policies for new customers in California.

They cite wildfire risk, rapid inflation in construction costs, and a shitty reinsurance market.

They will renew policies with existing customers

[PB]

Seems a little broad; I mean, there are areas in CA that don't burn.

Death Valley, for example.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Seems a little broad; I mean, there are areas in CA that don't burn.

Death Valley, for example.

What’s the housing inventory in Death Valley like?

Seriously, I don’t think places along the north coast in Humboldt and Del Norte counties have the same risk as the rest of the state
Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums