BARK (http://bark-out.org/) has been working to protect the forests, meadows and waters of Mt. Hood since 1993. In-studio guest Brenna Bell has been with them the entire time and has become something of an expert on forest and fire ecology as well as the complex legal issues and politics of forest protection. Our other guest, who will join us by phone about halfway through the program, is Warm Springs tribal member Marie Knight. a cultural educator and native food gatherer, who will talk about the Indigenous connection to Mt. Hood's ecosystems, especially Native food gathering and relationship to fire.
More information on the proposed Crystal Clear timber sale (called a "Restoration" project by the Mt. Hood National Forest) can be found here: http://bark-out.org/project/crystal-clear-timber-sale and here https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=50582. A 30-day public comment period on the proposal opened, strangely enough, the same day (August 24) as the BARK annual "Base Camp," which is taking place right now, through September 7, to call attention to and bring people out to the proposed project area (more info here: (http://bark-out.org/project/summer-base-camp). Read the info about the timber sale and/or go visit the Base Camp to see for yourself, in order to provide informed comments about the project, which can have an impact on whether and how it is carried out.
Recent legislation introduced on fire and federal forest lands: H.R. 2936: Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr2936
http://www.friendsoftheclearwater.org/resilient-federal-forests-act-of-2017/
Recent articles relevant to this topic:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/08/29/wildfire-myths-logging-the-forest-wont-save-it/
Book about Native Americans and fire in the Pacific NW: https://books.google.com/books/about/Indians_Fire_and_the_Land_in_the_Pacific.html?id=Zb9rAAAAMAAJ
- KBOO