Inyo NF controlled burn 2/29 - 3/1

[maverick]

Inyo NF:

Fire crews plan to burn 127 acres of piles over two days (today and tomorrow), weather and air quality conditions permitting. The project is west of Wilson Butte, ¼ mile west of Hwy. 395, and 2.5 miles south of June Lake south junction. Smoke will be visible along Hwy. 395 south of June Lake and from the community of June Lake.

Pile burning provides essential fuel reduction in these fire-prone communities. These piles are just west of Hwy. 395 and crews will have to closely monitor the smoke crossing the highway by the prevailing winds. Crews plan a deliberate pace to pile burning in this location to address this concern.

[rlown]

I wish they'd do more. controlled burns that is..

[dave54]

FS, NPS, & BLM would too. It is not the lack of will, it is too many barriers and regulations hindering prescribed burning.

Repeal the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, ESA, NEPA, increase the budget, and give managers immunity from civil prosecution for escapes and they will be happy to increase the amount of burning.

[oldranger]

I disagree with Dave a little, clearly budget needs to be increased. But I would suggest that tweaking the regs a bit and maybe some laws would be more appropriate than abandoning them.

My frustration after 16 years of doing NEPA is that no one, especially the government attorneys, really followed the letter of NEPA and made things much more complex than it had to be. The law and associated regs were reasonable but the implementation by the Forest Service and BLM was flawed.

Mike