4 ms·

CA asks Native American Tribes to help prevent wildfires with traditional burns

19 points by gscott 5y ago

logicalmonster 5y ago
So forest management is now useful? Just a reminder about what the "fact-checkers" told us about this topic. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/14/us/politics/trump-biden-climate-change-fires.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/14/us/politics/trump-biden-c...
- ummonk 5y ago
  There weren’t any “fact-checkers” in that article, but it looks like the experts interviewed in that article agreed that poor forest management was an important contributor to bad wildfires. Incidentally, the article also pointed out that the majority of land in California is federally managed.
exabrial 5y ago
In college, I volunteered with a wildlife club where we burned open range. It was hot tiring work, and you were usually in for a lot longer shift than you volunteered for. Talking with the biology and environmental professors, I learned a lot this is one of the most important aspects of environmental preservation. The primary reason is it removes invasive species and leaves the native ones to carbon fixate. The native species have evolved eons ago to deal with wildfires, where as invasive ones have not. The invasive specifies drive off native ones, decreasing the entire biomass of the ecosystem. By taking a small temporary hit in emissions, you end up creating a flora of grasses to absorb more carbon. And that doesn't speak to the native animal and insect species that rely on the same natural cycle.
8bitsrule 5y ago
Good news and extraordinarily well-written coverage.
sleightofmind 5y ago
Does anyone know how a modern-day tribal member would have acquired the [edit]techique to go along with the knowledge?[end edit] It seems that so much time has passed since the practice was allowed that no modern-day Native American would have learned it via actual practice. Or perhaps it was allowed more recently than I think? It seems that oral tradition alone would be no substitute for hands-on mentoring from one's elders, as mistakes could be quite costly. My question is not asked in a snarky or critical tone. I'm genuinely curious.

19 points by gscott 5y ago

So forest management is now useful? Just a reminder about what the "fact-checkers" told us about this topic. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/14/us/politics/trump-biden-climate-change-fires.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/14/us/politics/trump-biden-c...

ummonk 5y ago
There weren’t any “fact-checkers” in that article, but it looks like the experts interviewed in that article agreed that poor forest management was an important contributor to bad wildfires. Incidentally, the article also pointed out that the majority of land in California is federally managed.

exabrial 5y ago

In college, I volunteered with a wildlife club where we burned open range. It was hot tiring work, and you were usually in for a lot longer shift than you volunteered for. Talking with the biology and environmental professors, I learned a lot this is one of the most important aspects of environmental preservation. The primary reason is it removes invasive species and leaves the native ones to carbon fixate. The native species have evolved eons ago to deal with wildfires, where as invasive ones have not. The invasive specifies drive off native ones, decreasing the entire biomass of the ecosystem. By taking a small temporary hit in emissions, you end up creating a flora of grasses to absorb more carbon. And that doesn't speak to the native animal and insect species that rely on the same natural cycle.

8bitsrule 5y ago

Good news and extraordinarily well-written coverage.

sleightofmind 5y ago

Does anyone know how a modern-day tribal member would have acquired the [edit]techique to go along with the knowledge?[end edit] It seems that so much time has passed since the practice was allowed that no modern-day Native American would have learned it via actual practice. Or perhaps it was allowed more recently than I think? It seems that oral tradition alone would be no substitute for hands-on mentoring from one's elders, as mistakes could be quite costly. My question is not asked in a snarky or critical tone. I'm genuinely curious.