CALIFORNIA CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION ______________ Since 1917
1221 H Street Sacramento CA 95814 (916) 444-0845
THE PUBLIC MAY BE THE ANSWER TO PERPETUAL WILDFIRE PROBLEM by CCA President Mark Lacey Well we continue to hope after hope that California will get a reprieve from wildfires, but alas, it was not to be. The year 2020 has virtually exceeded the last three years combined in burnt acres and devastation. Plus a statistic we don’t like hear is the loss of grazing resources, fencing and probably the saddest of all is the loss of livestock. The fires have been burning most of the summer and without rain they may continue for a while. Over the course of the last several months there has been many opinions shared about the cause or reason for the fires. Governor Newsom, many politicians and the climate lobby of course want to pin it all on climate change. Now there is no upside to getting into an ideological argument about the presence of climate change. Even our friend Frank Mitloehner, Ph.D., has said conditions on the planet are changing, but what I will say is that climate change is an excuse not a solution. So as long as the governor and other politicians refuse to look at all other factors they will continue to believe that more regulations and more money can solve the wildfire equation and we aren’t likely to make progress in mitigating wildfire. Then there is the environmental community that doesn’t want anything managed and their lobbying efforts and litigation against land management agencies have resulted in the resource conditions that have made California ripe for devastating fires. Conversely, folks on our side of the fence are voicing their opinion via the slogan “log it, graze it or watch it burn,” which CCA's own Dave Daley, who had his own tragic experience with wildfire in 2020, said isn’t going to get us included in many conversations. However, as we know firsthand, the slogan is a metaphor about the root of the entire problem, land and resource management. I believe that we are at a point in California where people are willing to join conversations to discuss solutions. The will exists amongst the political class to help, but they need guidance and education. The first instinct of politicians is
to regulate an issue or throw money at it. While that may be the answer to some problems, it doesn’t work on Mother Nature. In fact, neither one of those things is the answer. What we need is for the legislature to take back authority from the regulatory agencies by tightening the purse strings, and they need to have the resolve to roll back regulations so we have all the tools necessary to reduce fuel loads even in sensitive areas. On our side, we need to be ready to invest time and money in educating legislators and regulatory agencies. The first hurdle in that process is putting aside the climate excuse and agreeing that if the conditions we have been experiencing the last few years are a new norm then what are we going to do differently to manage for them. It seems pretty obvious to us that laws and regulations that have been compounding for the last 30 years haven’t worked. But, believe it or not, we still have to prove it to them. The other side of the coin is the environmental community who seem unrepentant in defense of the policies they have advocated since the 1980s. They continue to push climate change as the sole cause. In my view, the environmentalists will be the most difficult part of the problem to solve. However, because of the events of 2020, there may be a new catalyst to help in the battle for changes in resource management -– the public. I think 2020 has been the breaking point for many Californians tired of the seemingly endless cycle of destruction from wildfires. If we can enlist the public to help amplify our voice, maybe we can change the narrative on how to mitigate wildfires. Everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving, which will be even better if you serve BEEF. And like someone said to me the other day, bring up politics -– it will save you money on Christmas gifts.
SERVING CALIFORNIA BEEF PRODUCERS SINCE 1917 Bolded names and businesses in editorial represent only current members of the California Cattlmen’s Association or California CattleWomen, Inc. For questions about your membership status, contact the CCA office at (916) 444-0845. The California Cattleman (#8-3600) is published monthly except July/August is combined by the California Cattlemen’s Association, 1221 H Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, for $20/year, or as part of the annual membership dues. All material and photos within may not be reproduced without permission from publisher. Periodical postage paid at Jefferson, MO. National Advertising Group: The Cattle Connection/The Powell Group, 4162-B Carmichael Ct, Montgomery, AL 36106,
4 California Cattleman November 2020
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