If Chicken Little were alive and kicking today he’d not decry the falling of the sky but the rising of the sea. We’re on the knife edge of climate change now–now that we’re just beginning to appreciate the potential calamity of it–and it is beyond outrageous to fly in the face of such peril.
This is exactly the wrong time to contemplate any reduction of protected wildlands, whether designated National Park, National Monument or National Forest.
What is needed now, more than ever, is management. Husbandry. Given the recent drought and the depredations of the bark beetle, we need, as a nation, to guard, protect and properly manage our precious wildlands. They should not be political bargaining chips.
The last thing we need is to “protect” these lands by making them open to the depredations of business, at potentially fire sale prices. Reducing the size of the Giant Sequoia National Monument from 328,000 to 90,000 acres is not the answer.
Allotting funds for the perceived Visitors Center would be more apt. It would draw more attention to the area, aiding in attracting visitors and visitor dollars to the Porterville region and the county as a whole.
Does the Valley Voice feel badly that 105 people lost their jobs at Sequoia Forest Industries 17 years ago? We feel exactly the same whenever we hear about a coal mine closing. We don’t enjoy seeing people lose their jobs.
We, as a nation, need to move on–and sometimes progress is as simple as holding to the status quo. Like keeping Giant Sequoia National Monument at its current size.
The Giant Sequoia Monument was nothing but a pay back to the Sierra Club by then president Clinton. The Giant Sequoias were already protected by George HW Bush; but the Sierra Club wanted it all. They wanted to close down mills and logging. Downsize the Monument and bring back good logging management.
You seem to have little knowledge of the needs of sequoias and forest management. Sequoias’ roots are shallow and are damaged by heavy equipment. Monument status does not preclude removing dangerous trees. Pre Monument designation meant clear cuts to the area of the sequoias. We need the Monument to be at least its present size. Surrounding communities have benefited by Its existence. Leave it alone.
The simple fact that environmental wackos don’t want to recognize is that the very so-called protections created the fires we have now. But they would rather have homes, businesses and entire towns destroyed for their own gain. Thank the Democrats for the Detweiler fire!