Reading Fire: Shasta supervisors scold Lassen superintendent
Lassen Volcanic National Park's superintendent got an earful on Tuesday from Shasta County supervisors, who complained her agency didn't seem to take any lessons away from last summer's destructive Reading Fire, despite widespread criticism on how it was managed.But they seemed frustrated they didn't hear much response back from Darlene Koontz, the park's superintendent. Supervisor Les Baugh said Koontz's proposed solutions to prevent a similar mishap in the future were "gobbledygook" and typical government "garbage."
"It pretty much sounds as though you would repeat the same situation again," Baugh said. "It doesn't sound like you've learned a single lesson."
Lightning sparked the fire on July 23, but Koontz decided to let it burn to control undergrowth. Trouble started not long after that, when high winds and unusually dry conditions kicked the blaze out of control in early August. It ultimately scorched more than 28,000 acres and costing $17 million.
"This obviously was a catastrophe for our area," said District 3 supervisor Pam Giacomini. Supervisors first heard from Koontz on the Reading Fire in August, when they arranged for a second meeting to address more concerns from the public. The National Park Service's review of the fire was released in late January, so Koontz summed up some of the key points in that report in an effort to ease supervisors' fears that a repeat situation is bound to happen.
Among other things, the review said the park was too concerned about deflecting criticism of the fire and didn't think far enough ahead.
Koontz detailed those "lessons learned," as she did at a similar presentation to Tehama County's Board of Supervisors last week, including working better to communicate with the public and media and having a sound backup plan if fires become unmanageable.
But Koontz agreed to disagree with supervisors' claims the Reading Fire should not have been allowed to burn in the first place.
"What I didn't hear is that maybe the timing was just really inappropriate," Giacomini said. "You need to be managing those fires in a wetter season, not when it's hot and dry."
Koontz said it was "totally appropriate" to let the fire burn undergrowth when it started.
"The policy is sound, whether we agree or not," she said.
Koontz said the weather in the valley is often different than in the mountains, so she and supervisors "may" disagree on her decision.
"That's probably the statement of the decade; We will disagree," Baugh corrected her.
Koontz said there are many things her agency has learned from the fire, but still didn't offer a specific answer that seemed to appease the supervisors.
"All I can say is, yes, we've learned from this fire, and it will change our behavior in the future," she told the board.
Koontz said her agency needs to "make sure we're using every tool" to avoid a similar situation, and the public needs to help by holding them accountable.
"Let me assure you that we will take you up on your offer," Board Chair David Kehoe ominously promised her.
The supervisors also complained that some of the burned timber won't be salvaged and there isn't a plan in effect to help businesses recover losses from the fire.
Supervisors got a presentation on another hot topic on Tuesday after that — the divisive lone gray wolf that crossed state lines more than a year ago.
Karen Kovacs, a wildlife program manager for the Department of Fish & Wildlife, told the board that OR-7, as the wolf has been dubbed by biologists, has been in literally every type of habitat in northeastern California and tread on both public and private lands.
Since the wolf is being tracked, Kovacs said biologists have determined he's mainly eaten deer in his solitary journey throughout the north state — a meandering trip that several times has brought him in and out of eastern Shasta County. The wolf is believed to be the first in the state since 1924.
Kovacs said the government doesn't currently have a plan to introduce more wolves into the state, but it's likely more of them will cross the border on their own.
"I think it's reasonable...to expect additional animals to come in to California," she said.
Source: http://www.redding.com/news/2013/mar/05/redding-fire-supervisors-scold-lassen/--
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