Among the pandemic chaos of 2020, dry regions of the country faced deadly fires. That is why one cattle rancher took his concerns on wildfire management to Capitol Hill.
Dr. Dave Daley chairs several committees on the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. He testified before a Senate subcommittee about the worsening western drought which made the last wildfire season one of the most destructive in years.
Daley lost 80 percent of his cattle herd in the Bear Fire. He said that the state should implement practices like re-seeding and prescribed burns, but he also told lawmakers a federal approach should not be “one size fits all”.
“All of a sudden it seems like we’ve gotten into this logging versus preservation debate rather than what can we do. As you well know and as I’ve invited people... to come out and see the Sierra Nevada mountains. They are chocked with brush,” Daley states. “They are chocked with low-growing fuels that are 10-15 [feet] high surrounding large conifers. We need programs that will address the opportunity to remove those in a cost-effective manner that can support-- partner with private landowners, partner with public lands in ways that actually create defensible spaces...”
The committee members thanked Daley for his passion and said that this is one of several hearings they will hold this year.
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