Opinion

Local input is vital when making land use decisions

Sept. 4, 2012 — The Lassen County Board of Supervisors — spurred by the involvement of Lassen County District 3 Supervisor Larry Wosick and Lassen County District 1 Supervisor Bob Pyle, both members of the Lassen County Coordination Council — continue the efforts to bring federal agencies to the table to listen and act upon local concerns and perspectives before making land use decisions that will affect all county residents.

At its Tuesday, Sept. 11 meeting, the board will consider the adoption of a Memorandum of Agreement between the U.S. Forest Service, the California State Association of Counties (CSAC), the Bureau of Land Management and the Regional Council of Rural Counties (RCRC), a group that represents the state’s 58 counties.

The proposed agreement between the federal agencies and CSAC and RCRC would only affect Lassen County if the board of supervisors approve it, and according to documentation from the coordination council, the agreement would weaken the county’s position by subordinating the county’s plans to those of the federal government, making this an issue of local control.

Would you like to join me in a little rain dance?

Aug. 28, 2012 — According to that old song, “Sowin’ on the Mountain,” popularized in the 1930s by the Carter Family and adapted by Woody Guthrie a decade or so later, God gave Noah the rainbow sign and said, “No water, but the fire next time.”

Obviously I’m not suggesting we’re in the final days of destruction or anything like that, but we’re in the middle of a firestorm the likes of which I haven’t seen during my 13 years in Susanville. It’s not like I haven’t seen clouds of smoke drifting over Diamond Mountain as some fire burns somewhere around us. Sadly, I have. But I haven’t seen hundreds of thousands of acres go up in flames in multiple fires up and down the West Coast.

A couple of weeks ago I took a few vacation days and went to visit my daughter who lives in central Washington near Mt. St. Helens. I was looking forward to breathing a little clean air as I planned my route of travel. Rather than go up Interstate 5, I decided to drive up 139 and up into Oregon before joining the interstate near Eugene. I find the beauty of the eastern side of California’s mountains captivating, and I looked forward to some stellar scenery.

Thank you, firefighters

Aug. 28, 2012 — Northeastern California is in flames, and for many Lassen and Plumas, Tehama, Shasta and Modoc county residents, ranchers, farmers, homeowners and landowners, a group of brave and dedicated firefighters is the only defense standing between them and a heart-wrenching and devastating wall of fire.

These teams of firefighters — from the men and women on the blackened ground with hand tools to the fire engine and water tender drivers to the heavy equipment operators to the management teams that direct the firefighting efforts to the folks who manage the communications — come from our own local fire districts, from state and federal agencies and from fire departments from all across the United States.

Yes, firefighters working this week in Northeastern California have come from all over the country with one goal in mind — to protect us. Of course, there are firefighters and equipment from Oregon, Washington and Colorado, but we’ve also noticed firefighters from as far away as Minnesota and Hawaii.

Preparedness is a virtue all should strive to obtain

Aug. 28, 2012 — Friends of mine had to leave their home in Canyon Dam because of a mandatory evacuation during the Chips Fire. They had more than a week to secure important records and select items to move, which was helpful.

As I looked around my home I realized I am not prepared to leave should a forest fire threaten. Yet at a Chips Fire update Rocky Opliger, the incident commander, warned when the fire south of Highway 89 is extinguished there is always a chance another wildfire will threaten homes because the woods are dry.

Fire officials mentioned websites to access information about preparedness, such as wildlandfiresg.org (Ready, Set, Go!) and firewise.org. I think about all the information we have on this topic of preparedness for a great variety of situations — in the event of an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, house fire, blizzard, etc.

I can’t tell you how many times I have watched a video about getting out of an automobile submerged in water but at the moment I cannot remember a single step.

Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish reality from politics

Aug. 21, 2012 — Perception is reality — that’s the message I heard repeatedly from several elected public officials when I first started writing for the Lassen County Times more than a decade ago. I’ve always hated that particular mindset because I believe it’s an obvious falsehood per se.

Let me explain with an example. First you see me as you walk along a darkened alley. Then you decide I’m a threat to your safety. Perception takes over. Your heart races, and your palms get sweaty as we awkwardly pass in the night. Whew. You relax, happy to have survived an encounter with danger. Here’s the problem — the reality of that perception was all in your head because I never intended you harm. Perception is reality? No, it’s not.