GAO report gets at the truth about wildfires

March 17, 2010 By Rich Fairbanks

The arm of the government responsible for minding the store – the GAO – recently released a report that debunks myths about wildfires. All that talk about how environmental lawsuits are holding up fire prevention projects turns out to be nonsense.

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In fiscal years 2006 through 2008, 1,415 Forest Service land management decisions involved hazardous fuel reduction activities (reducing potential for wildfires) on 10.5 million acres.  Of these decisions, 9 million acres are subject to an administrative appeals process in which citizens can raise objections to a project.  An appeal is not a legal thing: It requires an administrative response, usually a few hours of planning staff time, then a signature by a district ranger.  Of the projects subject to this process, 18 percent were actually appealed, resulting in some project delay.  Of all the decisions made on all fuel reduction projects, just 2 percent, affecting only 124,000 acres, ultimately ended up in court. Do you really think that 100 percent of government projects are perfect? 

Of course not. 

So think about it.  Only 18 percent of the time do citizens find enough wrong with a project that they must appeal it, and only 2 percent of the time are projects so irreconcilable that they end up in court.  I don’t know about you, but I’m glad we have a system that allows citizens to watchdog these projects and fix the dumb ones. This is a good thing.

I have seen many fuels projects on the ground.  Almost all of them restore forests to a healthier, more fire resilient state, and the majority protect communities in various ways.  But I have seen a few stinkers. So to me the numbers in the GAO report are telling me that the agencies are responsive to the people. Democracy in action!