UPDATE: If anyone has any photos of the clear-cutting from the air, please send them to the Sentinel. We want everyone to see what they have done to our forest, our animals and our water supply.
UPDATE at 2:25 PM: Crews have reached the fire, which is reportedly 2-3 acres at this time. Calling for a 2nd Water Tender.
UPDATE: This fire is located at Forest Road 7N08 and 7N06. If you Google an aerial view of N706 taken in 2014; you will be sickened. It shows clear-cutting throughout the entire forest view. OMG!!
September 24, 2014 at 2 PM: A fire has been reported in the West Point area. All available fire personnel have been dispatched to the scene, including air support out of Columbia.
We aren't sure of the exact location yet, but will keep you advised.
6 comments:
Sierra Pacific Industries continues to completely butcher the forests in our county and the rest of the Sierra. This clearcutting has made the suffering of wildlife worse in our drought conditions. They now have new large clearcut logging plans near Swiss Ranch Road and also right outside Dorrington near San Antonio Creek. Local residents and other groups have protested in writing the impacts of these plans on their properties, but CAL FIRE will likely approve them anyway.
After SPI clearcuts they will use toxic herbicides in our watersheds to prevent native plants (other than pine trees) from regrowing (sorry deer and other critters). In the past they also clearcut and burned nearly all of the massive oaks that bear and deer depend on for fat and protein from acorns (sorry wildlife). Cavity nesters also use hollows in Oaks. The SPI usually burned the oaks.
SPI has already clearcut over 26 square miles in our county and is clearcutting on three sides of Calaveras Big Trees. Isn't enough enough? SPI needs to start using selection logging like other responsible timber companies.
FIRE RISK - SPI replants industrial style tree plantations following clearcutting. SPI has stated that they plant 6-7 times more trees than they cut! (talk about need to thin the forest!) These tree plantations have high fire risk because the trees have evenaged crowns (fire travels fast once in the crowns), dry debris from plantation thinning is left on the ground, and these young trees have thin bark (more flammable). SPI pays no special fire protection fees and SPI also pays no special fees to compensate taxpayers from logging truck damage to county roads in our county (sorry taxpayers SPI is owned by one of the world's richest billionaires - of course we taxpayers want to help him out!).
You are so right. These SPI people are so greedy. This is what is causing OUR drought. No trees, no water. They make me sick! Why can't anything be done. What are the environmental groups doing?
I agree! The poor animals. I want to see the photos of the clearcuts from the air. does anyone have any. google won't let me save and post them or send them.
If you want to see some aerial views try www.forestwatchers.org - see the recent blog post with pictures on the left of the home page.
Download a free Google Earth - the search for Winton Road, Calaveras County and then look around! You should be able to the copy and save an image - good luck
I just noticed a clearcut on the mountain to the left as you pass Forest Meadows going to Arnold. Guess SPI thinks our tourists will love to see butchered landscapes. Is this good for our economy?. Anyone know how much more they will be clearcutting there? Also on the way down to Sourgrass you can see markings on old trees on the right ... is that for more SPI clearcuts? I recently noticed lots of new clearcuts on the Toulumne side of the Stanislaus as you drive down to the River on Boards crossing. I'm not a good photographer but wish someone could get some good pictures of these too.
It's too bad George Soros won't give you enough money to buy the forests from SPI.
Then we could see your environmental skills in forestry management.
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