I'M AN ENVIRONMENTALIST:   ARE YOU? Does this strike fear in the hearts of some?  Well, let us see.  Before I go any further, I will state that the above picture is from the Whitewater/Baldy fire in New Mexico.  I took that picture in mid June.  The fire is still burning as of this date, around 298,000 acres and 87% contained.  Most of the fire that is burning is inside the fire lines.  While this is the biggest fire in the west this year, that I know of, if is by far one of the least destructive, in terms of cost and human suffering.  Although many acres less in size, that distinction will have to go to the fire in Colorado Springs.   There are still several fires burning all through the western States.  So many they are hardly even mentioned on the national news any more.  And when they are, it is accompanied by a commentary from some federal official saying something like this.  These fires are burning because of the dry conditions. Well, yes they are.  At least, that is one of the conditions.  But there are other considerations. So lets look at a couple or three of them.
I mentioned way back when I started this blog, and you can probably find it on my status somewhere, that I am a religious man.  Since this is my blog, I will quote ideas, and you can also, but please if you refute me, and I welcome that if you feel so inclined, at least quote from a known source.  Now, in the Bible, when Adam and Eve were  in the Garden of Eden, the Lord told them to go and dress the earth and take care of it.  And they did.  But now, these many millennia later, look what we are doing.  When I was growing up, on a cattle ranch, the rancher was allowed to run his cattle on the national forest.  And logging company's were allowed to harvest trees.  And the USFS managed this forest in spite of themselves.  And we had fires, but they were manageable, for the most part.  Then the "Environmental Movement" came in to being, and the cattlemen were ran off the forest, and the logging companies were shut down, and the forest was allowed to grow wherever and however it pleased.  And the streams became clogged, and the forests became a growth of small trees, all fighting for what ever water was available.  And we are not dressing or managing the earth.  And the commandment given to Adam is still in force today.  So, yes the dry conditions play a part in the fire conditions, but the forest unmanagement, governed by all the "Environmental rules" play a huge part in this, and the government needs to step up and manage the forests like they should.  As true Environmentalists.  Yes, I am an environmentalist.  I believe we should be environmentally responsible for the earth.  And dress it and take care of it.  And this includes cattle sharing the land with the wildlife and logging companies being allowed to harvest trees and keep the forests in a manageable condition.  Thus, allowing the streams to run with clear water and the trees to be able to drink as needed, and not fight all the scrub brush and small trees that are allowed to come up willy nilly.   Yes, we need to protect the environment, but not to the extreme that is now in place.  And THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK.