A Burning Issue: A Case for Abolishing the U.S. Forest ServiceIn A Burning Issue, Robert Nelson makes a compelling case for abolishing the U.S. Forest Service. Created in the early 20th century to provide scientific management of the nation's forests, the U.S. Forest Service was, for many years, regarded as a model agency in the federal government. Nelson contends that this reputation is undeserved and the Forest Service's performance today is unacceptable. Not only has scientific management proven impossible in practice, it is also objectionable in principle. Furthermore, Nelson argues that the Forest Service lacks a coherent vision and prefers to sponsor only fashionable environmental solutions--most recently ecosystem management. Creatively and cogently describing its history and failures, Nelson advocates replacing the service with a decentralized system to manage the protection of our national forests. A Burning Issue is a provocative study that offers insightful environmental policy alternatives. |
Contents
Scientific Management of Fire | 15 |
Ecosystem Management as Fire Management | 45 |
A Theology of Timber Harvesting | 67 |
An Illegitimate Institution | 89 |
Why Decentralization | 111 |
Lessons in Western Political Economy | 143 |
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Accounting Office acres administration agement American basic BLM lands Bruce Babbitt budget Cecil Andrus Committee of Scientists Congress Conservation costs Cronon decentralization decision Douglas fir ecological economic ecosystem management efficiency environmental environmentalists excess fuels existing federal forests federal government federal lands fire management fire policy fire suppression fire-fighting Fiscal forest fire Forest Health forestry funds future goal groups human Ibid Idaho Interior Land Management large fires legitimacy lodgepole pine ment million national forest management national forest system National Park Natural Resources Nelson past percent Pinchot pine planning political ponderosa pine prescribed burning problems professional progressive public land Pyne Quincy Library ranchers Randal O'Toole recreation Report resource management revenues Robert H rural West scientific management Sierra Club Sierra Nevada social species sustained timber harvesting timber sales tion tional forests trees twentieth century U.S. Forest Service Washington watershed Wildfire Wildland wildlife
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Page 1 - You will see to it that the water, wood, and forage of the reserves are conserved and wisely used for the benefit of the home builder first of all, upon whom depends the best permanent use of lands and resources alike.
Page 7 - ... creating high levels of fuels for catastrophic wildfires and transforming much of the region into a tinderbox. The number of large wildfires, and of acres burned by them, has increased over the last decade, as have the costs of attempting to put them out. These fires not only compromise the forests...