Despite what will likely be Nevada County’s wettest winter, including a far-above-average snowpack, forests remain at risk from tree mortality and overgrown landscapes. That’s according to a report from the California Farm Bureau Federation. The Executive Director of the county’s Resource Conservation District, Jan Blake, says wildfire danger should be reduced this year. But the bark beetle infestation will continue for a while…
Blake says she hopes the Forest Service can now shift budget priorities back to stronger prevention efforts…
Blake says thinning the forests is a key to reducing wildfire danger, but has also been hampered by concerns over environmental impacts. The Forest Service estimates more than 102 million trees have died, due to drought and bark beetles, since 2010. A lack of funding has slowed the removal of dead and dying trees that have been a large fuel source for wildfires.
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