Don’t overlook the effects of wildfire smoke
Regarding the recent guest opinion “Manage forest fires or suppress them” — are you kidding? The author Char Miller (a professor from suburban Los Angeles) confirms only one thing: He resides in California and he doesn’t have a clue about our forests in Montana.
The last 40 years has settled at least one thing — you can’t even control forest fires much less “manage them.” Miller subtly extols worn out, failed policies that have left California burnt to a crisp and us in Montana smothered in smoke gasping for clean air, and yet goes on to say we need more fires, not less to “restore ecosystem health.”
He obviously cannot “see the forest for the trees.” As we have learned here so dramatically — the only way to “manage” forest fires is to put them out immediately.
Miller is obviously unaware that our forests here, because of failed policies like his, are overgrown, dying, insect-infested and rotting — the exact opposite of good forest health. He obviously doesn’t know about the new approach to forest management, scientific forest management, which incorporates proven approaches including the suppression of fires to emulate nature’s own processes, which will nurture our poor forests back to health.
But what’s really irritating is his refusal to even mention the most egregious issue: The disastrous effect of wildfire smoke on the present and future health of Montana’s citizens.
Forest fire smoke is 11 to 12 times more detrimental than that of cigarettes. The large particulate in it will, eventually, sicken and kill many more people than Covid ever will. It will take 30, 40 or even 50 years, but, just like asbestosis in Libby (where I grew up), you can be assured of the devastation it will produce, particularly to our children.
Similarly, Miller ignores the destruction fires and smoke are doing to the health of our wildlife, our lakes and rivers, businesses and our communities, not to mention the tens of millions of dollars we waste each year trying to “manage” them.
But where are our county commissioners in all this process? Why are they not using their position to publicly express the frustration of the vast majority of their citizens in Flathead County and demand policies be put in place to eliminate or at least greatly diminish the smoke in the valley? After all, our state constitution guarantees us a “healthful environment” and therefore, it is the duty of all of our elected officials to stand up to fulfill their oaths.
Our county commissioners should publicly acknowledge the problem we have and then state they will work with other counties, state and federal officials to produce positive change and certainly, at the same time, dismiss old, outdated policies that have failed for so long. Otherwise, it makes it look as if they just aren’t concerned.
As for Miller? I suggest he should keep his big city opinions inside of the L.A. metropolitan area where it appears the people know so much about things that just aren’t true — a perfect place for Miller.
—Mark Agather, Kalispell