Letters: Fix Our Forests Act would increase fire danger

"I'm a Fix Our Forests Act opponent. We emphasize that removing trees leaves behind slash piles and debris that dry out and become highly flammable. Clearcuts and heavily thinned areas also allow more sunlight and wind to penetrate forests, drying fuels and accelerating fire spread. As one critique puts it, logging "causes changes in forest composition and microclimate that favor fires, exposing forests to drying winds and sun.""

"Caltrans, with the trucking lobby, wants to lift the 70-year truck ban on big rigs on Interstate 580 and possibly Highway 13. They want to put additional diesel trucks throughout the East Bay at a time when local jurisdictions and the state of California are pressing for cleaner energy policies and EV trucks. The trucking lobby likely wants to increase truck use on freeways, starting with 580, to get ahead of environmental cleanup efforts."

I oppose the Fix Our Forests Act because removing trees leaves slash piles and debris that dry into highly flammable fuels. Clearcuts and heavy thinning allow more sunlight and wind to penetrate forests, drying fuels and accelerating fire spread. Logging changes forest composition and microclimate in ways that favor fires and expose forests to drying winds and sun. Caltrans and the trucking lobby seek to lift a 70-year ban on big rigs on Interstate 580 and possibly Highway 13, adding diesel trucks across the East Bay. More trucks would clog 580, jam residential streets, and endanger schools, hospitals, and neighborhoods. The Federal Reserve employs over 400 Ph.D. economists, yet recent GDP forecasts underestimated growth, predicting 1.7% while Q2 reached 3.8%.

Read at The Mercury News