Dear Editor,

When it comes to wildfires and fire mitigation, trees are not the culprits here. Nine out of ten wildfires are human caused. We need to regulate human use of forests when fire danger is high. Fines for intentional or accidental ignition of wildfires are so small that they do not deter those who disregard fire bans and contribute to the destruction of thousands of acres of forests, peoples’ homes and wildlife habitat, as well as putting peoples’ lives at risk.

Removing trees in massive logging operations opens the land to intense solar radiation, contributing to global warming. Birds and wildlife lose their homes. Trees along streams are essential to protecting water resources from evaporation and keep the stream cool so that aquatic species can survive. Forests store carbon from our use of fossil fuels. They absorb CO2 and give off oxygen for us to breathe.

Diane Brown

Eldora