Ok, so I will take this in a few different directions:
Most modern sawmills have retooled and are taking down to 6" diameters and most new mills are only putting in small log mills who can handle anything larger than a 28" log. That is very small by California standards. Our problem here in...
Really?
I would argue that it isn't the fault of seasonal firefighters fault, but I would absolutely argue that this is to a massive degree a FS issue and very much to blame. When the Chief of the Forest Service (now gone) is offered the keys to the gates earlier this year by Congress and...
So, several things here:
1. The northern spotted owl was listed in 1992 and essentially shut the door on most federal land management at that point.
2. The QLG was betrayed by Feinstein and Boxer, when they both decided to walk away from the idea. Now, Chester will die a slow death as the...
As a forester, we still use them a lot. They are very handy tools. And as you saw, they are expensive as hell. There is a company in Or. called atturberry which fixes them.
Interesting turn of events, the 11th District (and not the 9th) has ruled that conservation easements and commercial forestry are incompatible and that those easements with forest management should be disallowed. The courts broad interpretation of 26 CFR Section 1.170A-14 is going to signal a...
I had several, but the main one was that CE's are short sided. If you encumber a property with an easement, hopefully you are doing it for the right reasons. If you are in trouble now and looking for CE's to save your property, you are probably barking up the wrong tree. It is only going to...
Here is an example of how Conservation Easements are leading abuse of the system.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterjreilly/2017/07/24/new-irs-scandal-syndication-of-conservation-easement-deductions/#6681cfb06b33
Currently there are considerations of federal changes...
You know, it is funny. I just saw Steve do a live show here in CA two weeks ago, and he called all us Californias crazy, so I guess that makes him a newt!
This graph would be totally different if our forests were being properly managed instead of letting them burn up everywhere. Timber revenue would dwarf all other activities. In fact, timber revenue used to fund the entire agency. Now we are spending all the revenue on fighting fire....
I never said that they exclude all agriculture. Most of the reason that I am involved in them is timber and harvesting. I said that some give up those rights. I don't work on those projects as I can't see the point of excluding managing our forests from a working landscape, however there are...
Here in California, we have what is called the Williamson Act. https://www.conservation.ca.gov/dlrp/wa
It places different tax designations on different land uses. The same as Montana, someone with a house has a higher tax rate than someone with agg or forestland. The difference is usually...
Randy,
Thanks for the reply and I guess I should point out that I live and work in CA. Our landowners are under development pressures unlike anywhere else that I have read or seen. Our lands have been developed so much that parcel sizes have gone from hundreds of acres down to 40 acres and...
Randy,
You had a recent discussion about Conservation Easements on your podcast and I was hoping to further that discussion some. First, let me say that I have worked with and helped negotiate several Conservation Easements and I know the subject rather well. Also that landowners rights are...
Thanks BigHornRam. I couldn't remember what it was called. This is the main thing that is holding up proper management of our national forests. This has to change.
This really is about that tax code which is tying the hands of the FS and BLM. All they have to do is make a credible case and they are paid with our tax dollars to sue the FS and BLM if a judge says that they have a case. I write a lot of plans like these and some are several hundred pages if...
BuzzH,
You are missing a few things here. While Colorado, Wy, ID, MT and Utah may have low income generating lodgpole, other states have much more to offer and the great thing about federal timber sales is they all go in the same pot. Each Region can share in the profits and spread out the...
The Lockhead fire was held for the most part as it advanced south on the main road on RMC Lonestars property which was a shaded fuelbreak which was stared in 1958 by my mentor and I helped to maintain before the property was sold to Sempervirens Fund and the Land Trust. Cal Fire was able to use...
Straight Arrow, did you missed the point that I suggested taking our forests down to 50 to 100 tps per acre. Do you not see the economics that are involved in that. We are talking about billions of dollars in revenue. Billions of dollars will go a long way to managing these issues.
You say...