Livestock grazing in the Great Basin has increased cheatgrass, a highly flammable annual grass. Livestock advocates allege targeted grazing can reduce large wildfires. Photo George Wuerthner A recent publication in […]
Voluntary Grazing Retirement Could Reduce Wildfire In The West
Livestock is one of the major factors in cheatgrass invasion across the West. Photo George Wuerthner Wildfire is a big issue in Western states. As climate warming has increased temperatures, […]
More Hype On Fuel Breaks
Targeted grazing seeks to create vegetation free zones, which advocates suggest will assist firefighters in controlling blazes. However, the collateral damage from grazing vastly exceeds any benefits. Photo George […]
Chaparral and Wildfire
Sandstone outcrops and chaparral along Hurricane Deck, San Rafael Wilderness, Los Padres NF, California. Photo George Wuerthner Chaparral is one of California’s most widespread vegetation communities due to the state’s […]
Scientists Critique BLM Tri-State Fuel Breaks Proposal
A week ago, eight prominent scientists sent a letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) declaring that the agency’s proposed Tri-State Fuel Break (TSFB) is flawed and will endanger […]
Does Cattle Grazing Preclude Large Blazes?
If cattle graze to bare soil, it is true that fires are slowed under such conditions, but the ecological impacts are enormous. Photo George Wuerthner When I worked for the […]
Fuels Breaks Fuel Fires
Caption: Above Cheatgrass invades fuel break cleared along road in Oregon. Bottom: Fuel break created in Idaho’s Snake River Plain. Photos by George Wuerthner The Department of Interior released a […]
Proposal for Massive And Ineffective Fuel Breaks System
In June the BLM released a draft EIS Programmatic EIS for Fuel Breaks in the Great Basin. The proposal would authorize the creation of 11,000 miles of fuel breaks primarily […]