HomeMy WebLinkAbout070822 FW_ Time for accountability
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From: bertl@cablespeed.com
Sent: Friday, July 8, 2022 10:23:15 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
To: Greg Brotherton; Mark McCauley; Brent Butler; Philip Hunsucker
Cc: Jim Scarantino; Diane Urbani de la paz; Brian Kelly; editor; editor; Marcia Kelbon; Randall Verrue; Diana Smeland; tcrosby; Craig Henderson; Danille Turissini; Dave McDearmid; bheywood;
Chapman, Mike; Cooke, Bill; Cooke, Jon; Crosby, Steve; ctucker; D'Amico, Joe; dbazzaz; de Sa e Silva, Marco; Doob, Steve; dschuch; evanburen; Forbes, Jim; gm; Haas, Mike; Haas, Mike;
Hall, Pat; Hammond, Steve; Heidi Eisenhour; Huntington, John; jodi; David W. Johnson; jsk; Kate Dean
Subject: Time for accountability
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Greg,
It's time for some accountability. If your statement is true, please provide the supporting documentation that proves the Trail Nine wildfire hazard mitigation plan "was settled years
ago."
Bert
a.us>, "MMcCauley" <MMcCauley@co.jefferson.wa.us>, "bbutler" <bbutler@co.jefferson.wa.us>, "Philip
To: Greg Brotherton
From: Bert Loomis
Sent: Thursday, July 7, 2022 12:30:38 PM
Subject: "as far as I know this was settled years ago'.
Greg,
Where is the proof that this issue was "settled years ago"? --- thirteen years and waiting for answers from Jefferson County.
Bert
In an email (6/30), Commissioner Brotherton stated: 'I don’t feel qualified to speak to a mowing prescription. I hope DCD is able to attend the wildfire talk today to respond directly
to your questions, but as far as I know this was settled years ago'.
(8/30/18) Brad Martin Fire Chief [Toured the abandoned Trail Nine Course]
“When we completed the tour, there was consensus that the 8 foot mow strip PLA is doing, in conjunction with the 6 foot cart path (totaling an average of 13 feet) is an acceptable barrier
to the conditions we observed.” Chief Martin’s statement is of particular concern - that a
“13 foot buffer is adequate”, when it is only 43% of the universally accepted 30-foot minimum requirement and 13% of the 100-foot preferred buffer. Note 99% of the course does not have
the 8 foot mowed strip along the cart path. This is inconsistent with the 30 – 100 foot buffer’s recommended and/or required by the 49 published reports that I have read.
(09/11/18). At the recommendation of the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Hass, a tour of the abandoned course was conducted on September 11, 2018 from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Accompanying
Mike at his suggestion was Kelvin J. Thomas a retired Forrest Service wildfire expert [Kelvin is married to Mindy Walker, a Jefferson County Judge] In addition, Doug Henderson and Steve
Hammond accompanied Mike and Kelvin on the tour. After the tour Mike, Kelvin, Doug, and Steve met with Bert at his home on Edgewood Drive to debrief him. Generally the takeaway message
from Kelvin was that the “recommendations of Chief Martin were woefully inadequate”and “the mowing plan proposed by Bert was very reasonable”.
(10/10/18). *Morris C. Johnson, “Good morning, Bert. I just received your information on the abandoned golf course. I still believe the information I emailed you earlier is your best
defense to question the treatment recommendation outlined by the fire managers. In their explanation, they offer no evidence on how he decided on the size requirements other than stating,
“there was consensus” for “the 8 ft mow strip”. So as I understand this is based on their expert opinion and not science. The grt122 would disagree with this recommendation. Let’s
chat when you have time.
Note: *Morris C. Johnson is a research fire ecologist at the US Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, located in Seattle, Washington. He earned a B.S. degree in Urban Forestry
from Southern University and a M.S. degree in Silvicultural and Forest Protection and Ph.D. degree in Ecosystem Analysis (Fire Ecology) both from the University of Washington (Seattle,
Washington). He is an affiliate assistant professor at the University of Washington, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.
r accountability