Bush's Healthy Forest Initiative example essay topic

As people of the twenty-first century, we are all too familiar with the frequent occurrence of wildfires in our nation's forests. Each year millions of acres of woodlands are destroyed in brutal scorches. It has been estimated that 190 million acres of range lands in the United States are highly susceptible to catastrophic fires (web). About a third of these high-risk forests are located in California (web). These uncontrollable blazes not only consume our beautiful forests but also the wildlife, our homes and often the lives of those who fight the wildfires. The frequency of these devastating fires has been increasing over the years.

In fact, in the years 2000 and 2002, it has been reported that the United States has faced its worst two years in fifty years for mass destruction fires (web). The increased natural fuels buildup coupled with droughts have been a prevailing factor in contributing to our wildfires and unhealthy forests (web forests. html). Due to the severity of these wildfires, several regulations and guidelines have been implemented to save our forests. In fact, the President himself has devised a plan in order to restore our forests and prevent further destruction of our woodlands. In August 2002, President Bush launched his revolutionary campaign against wildfires known as the Healthy Forest Initiative (HFI). The President's dynamic plan centers on preventing massive forest fires by thinning the dense undergrowth and brush commonly seen in our national forests.

The thinning will occur in priority areas that are in close proximity to homes and watersheds. The Healthy Forest Initiative also aims at developing a more efficient response method to disease and insect infestations that sabotage our forests. Finally, if fully enacted, the Healthy Forest Initiative would provide the loggers with what is known as "goods for services". This will compensate the loggers for the financial burden that will surface as a result of this aggressive thinning (web org / forests /fires / healthy forests initiative. asp). In order to promote the progress of his Healthy Forest Initiative, in 2003 President Bush announced the Healthy Forest Restoration Act.

This act took the main issues discussed in the Healthy Forest Initiative a step further. Bush plans to make a collaborative effort with federal, state, tribal, and local officials to protect our woodlands against future infernos. The act also calls for more public participation in reviewing any actions taken in lieu of the Healthy Forest Initiative. Furthermore, Bush wants to restore the land that has already been destroyed by wildfires and help to recover the threatened and endangered species that were affected by the fires (web / in focus / healthy forests. html). There are many positive's associated with Bush's attempt to revolutionize the way in which we deal with wildfires. According to Bush, one of the main positives to his Healthy Forest Initiative is that thinning would eliminate the excess fuel present in our overcrowded forests.

There once was a time when an acre of land contained 25-35 trees. Nowadays, more than 500 trees can be found in just one acre of land (web). Having this many trees in a limited space allows for dangerous undergrowth and overcrowding. It has also increased the forest's vulnerability to disease and drought (web). These unhealthy conditions provide fuel for the massive wildfires that have been known to consume our nation's forests. By following through with the President's plan, our overcrowded forests would be "thinned" resulting in the removal of much of the fuel and would in turn minimize the possibility of fierce wildfires.

In addition, the thinning project would not include the use of any herbicides, pesticides, or the construction of new roadways. The exclusion of these materials allows for a more "natural" thinning. Also, resorting to thinning as a method of controlling the wildfires opens up many jobs for firefighters (web). Furthermore, another plus for President Bush's HFI is his plan for dealing with the financial burden that will follow such restoration / prevention activities.

When people hear of the President's new plan for handling the wildfire situation, the first thing that comes to mind is "How will the President pay for such services?" Surprising to many, Bush has a legitimate strategy to pay for the thinning. Bush titles his financial plan "goods for services". Instead of paying loggers to cut down and burn our overcrowded forests, the President has an arrangement that would allow the loggers to keep the wood and sell it as their own. This strategy eliminates increasing taxes on citizens to pay for the HFI.

It also helps keep the economy going. Finally, the HFI wants to eliminate the red tape on forest restoration. "Restoration and preventative measures should not be so complex that they hinder the timely action needed to address the environmental crises associated with wildfires (web 2003/12/fs 0405. html. )". Lost time means lost wildlife and forests.

Although Bush's plans for promoting healthy forests seem to have many beneficial effects for the environment, as with any other political issue, there are many people who oppose the plan. One consequence of the HFI is focused around the thinning of the overcrowded, potentially hazardous forests. Aforementioned, Bush plans on thinning out the overcrowded forests that are near homes in order to prevent the possibility of a wildfire damaging our communities. However, "thinning primarily around homes is not a cure all" (web).

A fiery blaze would not stop burning because there is a "fuel break" or a "small clearing" in the land (web). The thinning may reduce the possibility of wildfires damaging our homes, but it cannot be a 100% assurance of protection. Also, the thinning would add to the air pollution. All of this "intentional" burning would produce smoke that would travel for miles and contaminate the air.

Furthermore, the reduction of natural wildfires works against the well being of the wildlife. There are many species that depend on fires to restore their habitat, recycle nutrients, and to maintain diverse habitats throughout our nation's woodlands (web). In such a case, proceeding with the Healthy Forest Initiative's thinning procedure would hurt the environment instead of helping it. In addition, the scientific community is also addressing Bush's Healthy Forest Initiative.

Many well renowned scientists such as Dr. Edward Wilson, Dr. Anne Ehrlich and Dr. Peter Raven are commenting on the negative impacts associated with the HFI. Thinning and logging would drain essential nutrients from the soil, wash topsoil into our streams, destroy the natural habitats of our wildlife, and ironically increase the severity of forest fires due to the increased development and activity in our woodlands (web initiative. asp. ). Finally, many argue that the President's Healthy Forest Initiative is actually a plot to feed into the timber and logging industry. Bush proposes to pay the loggers for their services by allowing for the logging companies to keep the wood they removed from the high-risk wildfire areas and sell it as their own. With this in mind, the logging companies are going to want to remove the larger trees in the forest.

These larger trees are usually the most healthy, fire resistant trees. The loggers are not interested in removing the dry, withered, tiny trees that are the real hazards. The smaller, dry trees won't make the loggers any money. This situation leaves our overcrowded woodlands in the same place as they began-high-risk wildfire areas (web release. html). In concluding, President Bush had the right intentions when he developed a plan to help reduce the occurrence of wildfires in our nation's woodlands. The Healthy Forest Initiative seems to have addressed many of the problems associated with our woodlands and the wildfires.

Bush is focusing on hindering the destructive infernos that run havoc in our forests. The President has many facets to his plan and has been following up on the HFI with environmental acts to progress his initiative. However, Bush may have only considered his project with a short-term perspective. His environmental strategies may reduce the immediate threat of wildfires, but what about the side effects of his plan. What happens to all of the wildlife that will be damaged as a result of Bush's HFI? Did Bush really think of the most appropriate method to pay for the protection of our forests?

Future restoration and protection of our nation's woodlands may require more extensive thinking and planning between the President, environmental groups and the community. Bush's motivates together with rational environmental planning can lead to an environmentally safe solution to the wildfires.

Bibliography

web forests. html. 2004.
Federal Agencies Announce to Aide Wildfire Prevention and Restoration of Healthy Forests and Rangelands. web 2004.
Healthy Forests Initiative. web release. html. 2002.
Firefighters, Forest Experts, Strongly Criticize Bush Forest Fire Plan. web 2003.
Pro and Con on the Healthy Forest Initiative Bipartisan initiative will save California's forests. web initiative. asp. 2003.
Debunking the "Healthy Forests Initiative". web 2003.
Implementation of the Healthy Forests Initiative. web 2003.