There have been some letters to the editor lately which blame the environmental organizations which halted the Clear Creek timber sale for the Piute Fire, stating that if the sale had been allowed to take place, the fire would not have occurred, or would have been less severe. Because Sequoia ForestKeeper is one of the Plaintiffs on the suit against the Clear Creek sale, I feel compelled to respond.

After viewing the map of the burn area and comparing it to the Clear Creek Timber Sale map, it is evident that the vast majority of the timber sale area was spared; in fact, it appears that approximately 80 percent was not burned. I have been informed by inside sources that the interagency fire team was instructed to cut fire line around the sale to preserve the timber so that it could still be sold. Ironically, the fire did burn much of the Piute Mountains which had previously been logged in the past fifteen years. The Forest Service claims that their Clear Creek fuels reduction project was necessary to prevent catastrophic fire, but the only area they seemed to be able to protect were the unlogged portions of the Piute Mountains.

Sequoia ForestKeeper does not file lawsuits, which are costly for our organization, unless there is a solid reason and legal standing. There are or were plants and animals that are only found in the Piute Mountains in Kern County, as well as threatened species that are located in or near Brown Meadow, which is in the Clear Creek timber sale area. Sequoia ForestKeeper’s mission is to serve as the eyes, ears, and voice of the forest, and to protect it so that animals and people alike can enjoy a natural, healthy forest ecosystem. Valerie Cassity

Programs Director

Sequoia ForestKeeper