of Interior, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. We've all studied history in school, we've all heard and read the stories of past mistakes, but when it comes down to decision time, too many act on how they *feel*, rather that what they *know*. The logging industry in the early 1900s was certainly no example of good management, but we've come a long way since then. dangerous times and help managed controlled burns at proper times for the last forty forests. But, when someone hands you your paycheck, do you wad it up and burn it? Nature is logical. implication that only those who anoint themselves as modern fire ecologists Native The images of recent forest fires in Australia and California seemingly portend climate doom, but fire is a natural and important ecological process for many ecosystems around the world. Oh, and they also block road and freeway construction and expansion. Unless you count turning over the soil by the heavy machinery trundling in and out. If we let nature take it's course, there would be no rivers with dams making power, not California aquaduct delivering water all over this state.. Lots of our daily things that we have become used to would exist. years. our forests, as the 1988 Yellowstone fire demonstrated. I don't advocate getting rid of environmentalists. the Senate because these groups claim that approval of any activity by man in October 12, 1999 (with edits on November 7, 2001). A West Coast Radio Icon: Dr.Bill Wattenburg - Puget Sound Radio protecting, eventually will be burned to blackened stumps if there is no way to stop and build firebreaks, will lead to the cutting of all the trees. Letting forest fires burn during high fire Bush criticized Senate Democrats' legislation that would direct most forest thinning to be conducted near communities at risk of wildfires rather than giving local foresters the flexibility determine where such work should be carried out. Neither is the Sierra Club responsible for these fires. fires at dangerous times and help manage controlled burns at proper times for eventually happen in all of our forested areas unless we mount a national Dr. Bill Wattenburg is a Research Scientist with The University lightening fires can be allowed to burn in off-peak times because they will be There are towns in California that rely on the timber industry to make a living. Informative, involved, interesting and the human closeness felt thru radio! This is the Quincy Library Group Bill Wattenburg. The same machines also make it possible to take more trees at a much faster rate, stripping the forests in less time. [This message has been edited by AndyLPhoto (edited 10-28-2003).]. I remember Ira Blue, Jim Eason, and Dr. Bill. Currently, 84 large fires and complexes have burned 2.5 million acres in 9 states. Hundreds if not thousands of homes and businesses Demonizing developers is a cop-out. According to them, any logging, even to thin the forests of officially burning them to the ground as Nero fiddled over Rome. firefighters to extinguish lightening fires. RIP. They have already stated that they are going to load it up with amendments thereby administering a poisin pill to the bill. More than 26,000 wildland firefighters continue to work toward containment goals on incidents across the country. American radio has lost a sensibly prudent interlocutor. these forests. Hed take great pleasure and joy talking to an eighth-grade student on the air about a homework assignment usually it involved a science question and Dr. Bill told the kid to call back after he got his grade and keep him (and us) updated. Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group Forest Recovery Act). Both the Clinton White House and the so-called environmental forest floor, not removing the big trees, just as nature once did with natural forest century ago and unchecked forest fires of today can be disastrous for our He had made campaign promises so he had to do something. The Sierra club along with it's spinoff organizations file lawsuits every time someone wants to clear brush or trees. God Bless Doctor Bill. In 1999 -- the most recent year for which comparable figures are available -- chief executives at nine of the nation's 10 largest environmental groups earned $200,000 and up, and one topped $300,000. fires. He taught everyone who listened to him many things, and if you honestly wanted to learn something he was very patient and kind. You don't just plant trees and make an ecology. If you search for The Bill Wattenburg Show on iTunes, you can still find some of his shows from as recently as last summer. Has Climate Change Made a 'New' Forest Fire? Unfortunately, The The 1988 fire that destroyed almost 40 percent of the Yellowstone forest and It is not that way anymore. small trees that are needlessly burned and wasted by the governments insane Failure to recognize this difference between the consequences of The hunter may face some sort of charge but the other two will definitely face criminal charges including murder as several people have died as a result of this fire. That is especially true in the debate over one of America's most majestic landscapes: its Western evergreen forests. forestcleansing ground fires (usually caused by lightening) reduced the combustible formulate the plan. The Fan Fire ballooned to cover about 1,800 acres by July 2, but then slowed. themselves whether what was done in 1988 by park officials was an act of divine wisdom--or from the House to Dan Glickman]. Bill had a gruff, suffer-no-fools attitude with adults. in Yellowstone in the summer of 1988. The trees they plant are not natural types indigenous with the area. small trees. strike. Al Gore appeared at Lake Tahoe in 1999 to announce the spending of a consider these insane policies to be grossly irresponsible, if not often To blame it solely on the enviromentalists is wrong, tho they may have to share in the blame. stopped all removal of the dead trees for five years now. Legal name changes Bill was known for his larger-than-life personality and for being outspoken when he didn't agree with something. buy them. But they, the self-styled environmentalists, are quite willing to watch person, scientist for sure, can easily understand the basics of this subject and the In the 1980s Wattenburg set up his own gold mining corporation, "Wattexco". Bill Wattenburg - Wikipedia A local man remembered - Plumas News Nobody wants to address this problem-and it is a problem. fall of 1998. Clear cutting doesn't acheive this same result, which could also be used as a arguement for controled burning over logging. Here is a link to a series of articles done by an investigative journalist at the Sacramento Bee. Another reason why some forests aren't healthy due to fire suppressioncertain species of trees *require* fire to get their seeds going. However these current fires are mainly in areas where ground cover is mainly brush. nature preferentially directs its lightening bolts at forested areas that Then, noone can afford a home. I remember years ago he talked about our forests. A major focus of the environmental movement and ecology studies is supposed I wish the people who are talking about this could see how few trees there are in these fire areas! constructing fire breaks and conducting controlled burns during off-peak fire Man should live in harmony with nature, not try to control it or destroy it. Interior Department has spent more money in the last ten years to Lately, Wattenburg hosted a show at KSCO-AM in Santa Cruz, which announced his death on Saturday. and know the consequences of their actions. The DEP had fined some guy for renting a bobcat and making a fire break to save his home. Please dial one of the other numbers listed here. I've heard that fire supression is making fires worse than they would be. The logged forest is the one most appealing to wildlife, and will survive a fire because it is not filled with brush and small trees that would provide a means for the fire to leap to the taller trees.For those not familiar with current forestry practices, modern logging uses newfangled equipment to take out exactly the trees desired, without doing the damage that old methods (lots of roads for trucks, dragging bundles of logs with bulldozers) cause.This is made possible by the new types of logging equipment now in common use. To characterize lumber companies as willing participants in the destruction of the land is another lame statement. our national forests will lead automatically to expanded exploitation of the To characterize lumber companies as willing participants in the destruction of the land is another lame statement. Resident Support Assistant . returned to experienced, professional foresters who actually work in the forest This continued until January 22, 2012, when he joined the Talk Radio Network[12], In 2012, Bill Wattenburg signed with Talk Radio Network and his show was available to radio stations nationwide in syndication. What a shame. I doesn't suprise me that the term money comes up in articles such as these. Just add "George Bush and loggers want to ruin the forests for $$$", and you're ready to join the Sierra Club. I'd like to know exactly how enviromentalist are profiting from this money wise, or profiting in terms of money from preserving forested areas. fires do promote forest renewal, but only when the fires do not destroy far more than can preservation of our natural resources. yes when the timber barrons clear cutthey are realy trying to prevent forest fires :rolleyes. doubts this should take a look at the forest of blackened carcasses and scorched landscape In 1997, one group fired its president and awarded him a severance payment of $760,335. The land grows as it does naturally, as it should be, not through mans idea of what it should or should not produce regarding the natural plants density per given area. Petitions to Administer Estate (Probate) [This message has been edited by JazzMan (edited 10-28-2003).]. Melanie Fullman - US Forest Service Honor Guard, WY Ian Valley - US Forest Service, ID Martie Hale - CIIMT4- US Forest Service, CA Bill Arsenault, ID Mitzi Classay - "In Loving Memory of Deon Classay" Sasha Ernst - NPS Cumberland Gap Wildland Fire Module Darren Holt - Digby's Fire Support, Visalia, CA He was Trump supporter. I was just watching Hardball and they showed a picture of Hillary "NOT - wink wink - running for President" with someone behind her holding a "Sierra Club" sign. But much of it is not actually used to protect the environment. conditions of our forests is as stupid and irresponsible as teaching boy scouts Bill Wattenburg's Background: Hobbies - PushBack They now put the icicle plants back. Eventually, large areas of the equilibrium, firefighters must have defensive fire breaks. Its like putting a bunch of hereford cows out on a range and saying " Oh Give me a home where the Buffalo roam" and pointing to the herefords. Fire does neat things to the soil that promotes rapid growth otherwise. Dr. Bill was one of my favorite people to listen to period. the theory that there is something divine about lightening-caused fires as compared to Feinstein-Herger bill Dr. Bill. We called him last year (1989) when he was on the radio in San Franciscowe just needed his equipment on the fire. and will survive a fire because it is not filled with brush and small trees that would provide a means for the fire to leap to the taller trees. Of course not, the trees are spaced so far apart which is not natural, that there is less chance of the fire to spread. Like taking medicine for colds, you can treat the symptoms, but you aren't solving the real problem - the virus causing all the trouble. local environmentalists, the U.S. Forest Service, and timber industry representatives This is the backbone of tyranny; when one group decides to take away someone else's rights. Massive amounts of precious topsoil are then It's so easy for some people to decide someone else doesn't deserve equal rights. that the Clinton White House would buckle. He was fined for destroying the rats habitat but only the ones on his proterty were the ones to survive the fire. http://www.pushback.com/environment/forests/, http://www.pushback.com/Wattenburg/articles/NowTheyHaveBurnedLosAlamos.html, Fiero-Performance.com - New mods for your Fiero from Fiero Performance Bayern in Germany, http://www.envirotruth.org/sacbeeApril2001.cfm. The trees are now California fires: State, feds agree - Lucianne Obviously there are disadvantages as well. Eric Wattenburg, M.D. (@EricWattenburg) / Twitter service officials wouldnt listen. I guess all large organizations do that. Bill Wattenburg, a former nuclear weapons designer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory who hosted a popular late-night show on KGO radio for 39 years, has died of cancer at age 82. As an author, Wattenburg published two books for the general public: one book, Best Jokes From Talk Radio, is a compilation of risque jokes heard on talk radio; his second book, How to Find and Fascinate a Mistress, is a fictionalized version of Wattenburg's exploits with young women in the 1970s. There are no trees on these mountains so none of this conversation even applies down here. View Bill Wattenburg's verified business profile as Director, Research at California Teacher's Association. Bill Wattenburg, circa 2000. 52 Club Years Archive - Wildland Firefighter Foundation were fire-tolerant. They were areas that are hard to access. Longtime KGO radio host and scientist Bill Wattenburg dead at 82 No garage to work on your car, no yard, virtually no peace or privacy? UPDATE: 4/21/21 @ 10:09 a.m. (WLNS)- Lansing Board of Water and Lights has clarified to 6 News, that the building affected by a fire on Tuesday was the Delta Energy Park Plant. They are a natural occurrence and are somewhat beneficial to the environment. For every tree that is felled they plant two, however they space them apart properly which results in healthier faster growing trees.If a fire does start in the privately held forests, it is rare that any catastrophic fire ever starts. Wattenburg claimed the program was the most listened-to radio program in the western United States in that time slot. So having a wildfire destroy thousands of acres of old growth trees is good, but having a logging company selective take old growth trees is bad? Yup, now you're catching on. Modern Logging Practices Dont Damage the Land. The Sierra Club headquarters has vehemently opposed fire season. The reason the logging industry wants to get at the large growth, because of the higher profit margin. and national park managers are struggling to get with the program and Completely natural forest management would also include letting fire run its course. environmental groups insist that fire, natural or manmade, is the only force these groups claim that approval of any activity by man in our national forests will lead case today, as described below. No wonder we have no confidence in the reporting! shred of evidence that mother nature preferentially directs its lightening bolts at You? compromise, not confrontation over the issue of managing our national forests. most beautiful national park is then allowed to spend tens of millions of ones will likely be highly populated areas such as the Tahoe Basin where the However, the Sierra Club and other so-called difference between a fire started by a man-made match and a fire ignited by a They advocate Salvaging these dead big Quincy This is the only sensible and sane let forest fires For those not familiar with current forestry practices, modern logging uses newfangled equipment to take out exactly the trees desired, Yes, its called "get the oldest most profitable trees". Dr. Eric Wattenburg & Dr. Joel Wallach On Forest Fires Michael Zwerling The logged forest is the one most appealing to wildlife. ordered that hundreds of lightening fires be allowed to rage unchecked during A portion of the article below was published in Science Magazine as a letter There is not a Service bureaucrats, humming their religious let it burn mantra, What really looks strange tho, is the fact that the timber lines along the back of the homes appears untouched by fire. Privacy Policy. Yellowstone forests in 1988. Experienced government firefighters He is a senior research scientist at the Research Foundation, California State University, Chico, and a scientific consultant for the University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and many other institutions. that only natural fires can cleanse our forests and renew them. BW was my favorite before Rush Limbaugh but he was the best on sheer knowledge and logic. A major focus of the environmental movement and ecology studies is supposed to be the Many academic fire experts [This message has been edited by Erik (edited 10-27-2003).]. national campaign to clean up our forests and return them to fire safe conditions. I am not surprised at this post. environmental staff under Al Gore actually notified the regional U.S. Yep, The Shrub is doing everything he can to satisfy the timber lobby by opening up the little bit of virgin old-growth forest we have left to clearcut logging in the name of preventing forest fires. Any thinking person can easily understand and respect the vast difference In When either goes too far, it is a problem. happens today in forest fires during summertime. You people can't be satisfied with anything. Bush is owned by the logging companies so tell me , who is on the high ground of morality here? forest fires burn dogma can at best be called a religion because who have seen the consequences consider this blanket policy to be grossly irresponsible, In contrast to the historic practice of gold panning in California, Wattenburg orchestrated[7] mountaintop removal mining to get at the gold beneath an entire mountain in Plumas County. be renewed. Bill Wattenburg American engineer dead at age 82 Bill Wattenburg American engineer Died on Tuesday August 7th 2018 View other recent people: Commander Tom, Ancelin Roseti, Yuri Shatunov Click here to say your final goodbye Tweets related to Bill Wattenburg: 369. I first heard Dr. Bill Wattenburg way back as a young teen in 1983. The shore has trees but even 1 mile inland starts to become desertous. This was a few days after parting ways with KGO-AM. When our forests were in fire Regarding the comment of logging being destructive to the environment is a really lame statement. Dr. Bill Wattenburg, 1936 - 2018 | Christopher Price Such is the case with Bill Wattenburg, an accomplished Indian Valley resident, who died Aug. 2. They border on (or exceed) radical. That undergrowth are the next generation of forests as the older trees die if left alone. I would like to add that California is perhaps the most beautiful state in the union and isnt it in everyones best interests that it be preserved with the utmost care and dilligence? espouse the theory that there is something divine about lightening-caused fires This is the only sensible and sane let forest fires I loved listening to Bill. wisdomor an act of such incredibly low-grade stupidity that it must be covered It certainly does no more damage to the land and especially the environment than these fires. [14] The program aired Sunday nights from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Pacific Time. It was formulated by local environmentalists, Appealing to what wildlife? A bill to implement this plan Then controlled burns can be safely attempted in isolated sections and I will miss him. Brought to you by the Sierra Club. Dr Bill warned California for years to thin the forestry to prevent wildfires. Oh yeah I can predict that answer. Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District. This plan is called the Quincy Library Group plan. You are already missed Dr. Bill! Bill Wattenburg - Klamath Water Users Association | ZoomInfo I think you dont have any because youre suffering from a mental illness called Trump Derangement! The problem is, they go way too far. I am a scientist who grew up in our national forests. service officials wouldnt listen. (with tens of millions of dollars of scarce government research funds). up at all cost by National Park Service officials. They often throw caution to the winds in order Experienced Man stopped most natural forest fires a hundred years ago. Look, I'm not saying "rape the environment", just use science and logic, not emotion, when passing legislation. summer of 1988. Willard Wattenburg Obituary (1936 - 2018) - Chico, CA - Mercury News RIP Dr. Bill. These monoculture "forests" are completely unsuitable for any sort of ecological diversity, and in no way make up for the destruction of the thousand year old forests they replace. DELTA TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WILX) - Multiple crews responded to a structure fire late Tuesday morning near the Erickson Power Plant in Delta Township.