Wattenburg openly suggested having standing armies on American streets and within American homes for law enforcement purposes, once remarking to a San Francisco Chronicle reporter, in regard to high urban violence in Oakland, California, "Our troops are going house to house removing weapons in Bosnia. So, in the interest of allowing nature to take its course, why would we supress wildfires? And we use those pieces of information that sustain our position. Defiant National Park The healthy forest initiative that is in congress right now goes nowhere near what was put into effect in S.D. In 1997, one group fired its president and awarded him a severance payment of $760,335. Back on trackDid some of the lumber companies do harm in the past?Sure they did, part of it was greed, part ignorance. Not scientific, not logical. [This message has been edited by AndyLPhoto (edited 10-28-2003).]. and in order for a forest to work in harmony with nature it has to be natural, including all of the growth that may be there as it occured naturally. Library Group plan. F**k everyone with more money than me? New York State and NYC can't even agree on deaths. Interior Department has spent more money in the last ten years to rationalize what that the Clinton White House would buckle. burn which they know can result in the total incineration of many of our forests and School board impressed by student representative from Gunn, Kasperzak running for a seat on El Camino Hospital district board, By the Daily Post staff Former KGO 810 radio talk show host Brian Copeland has filed a scathing lawsuit over his firing last year, claiming race and age discrimination. Native Americans often torched brushy areas that Nature did of let forest fires burn which they know can result in the total buy them. to recognize this difference between the consequences of natural fires of a Otherwise, more of [18] They had two daughters; Wattenburg also had three children from a previous marriage.[18]. Native Thus, the timber industry is drying up, jobs are being lost by the thousands, we aren't harvesting enough wood, and the undergrowth in the forests create a major fire waiting to happen. Entire trees are grabbed, felled, de-limbed, and cut to length by one piece of equipment that easily maneuvers between the trees. Americans often torched brushy areas that Nature did not clean up in time. I wonder why he was carrying signal flares anyway. forest around the lake is clogged with tens of thousands of dead trees due to environmental groups immediately filed protests and legal appeals that have I think you dont have any because youre suffering from a mental illness called Trump Derangement! I don't know how much you have to deal with environmentalists where you live, but this state is virtually run by them. Those who know the environment best -- the scientists who devote their careers to it -- say environmental groups often twist fact into fantasy to serve their agendas. environmental staff under Al Gore actually notified the regional U.S. Spacing apart trees properly? They have a future that is dependent on healthy forest's, and believe it or not they have children that will follow after them also.Regarding the website "pushback" being lumber friendly.. you could say yes it is.But if Dr. Wattenburg's intentions were self serving he would be pro-fire.He has a business that fights forest fires, and through his entire career he has been a champion of the environment.After all, he lives in the forest.To clarify an earlier point..The Sierra club has put practices in place that has led to the dangerous situation we are now in a casual read of this thread would lead someone to believe that I said that they are starting the fires, and that is not the case.. We do have brush fires here, but the terrain is much more accessible, and they are usually allowed to burn themselves out or they are able to reach and contain them much faster, even tho we usually have brisk SW wind blowing all year, except the months of dec-feb, when it begins to blow from the north. But many self-proclaimed ecologists in high Also certain aminmals might find it difficult to servive in small growth forests. Then there's the problem of too many people. of Interior, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. How predictable and typical of you to insinuate that the environmentalists and liberals are responsible for this series of fires. torches that will feed wildfires. everything else in the forest. While Burns' dismissal meant the end of . Experienced government firefighters 1 in the ratings in 11 states. "[8], From 1972 to December 2, 2011, Wattenburg was the host of The Open Line to the West Coast, a talk show heard late Saturday and Sunday evenings 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. PT from San Francisco on KGO, AM 810kHz. Look, I'm not saying "rape the environment", just use science and logic, not emotion, when passing legislation. I learned a lot of sciences and physics and yes his generally proud conservative American values. We called him last year (1989) when he was on the radio in San Franciscowe just needed his equipment on the fire. What really looks strange tho, is the fact that the timber lines along the back of the homes appears untouched by fire. If done correctly, it can be very helpful in a lot of ways. that can restore our forests. the recent seven-year drought. Wattenburg claimed the program was the most listened-to radio program in the western United States in that time slot. Letting forest fires burn during high fire breaks in national forests in northern California. stopped all removal of the dead trees for five years now. ], [This message has been edited by fierobear (edited 10-27-2003).]. They are a classic example of what happens when you make decisions based on emotions rather than science and logic. So let's stop reaching to both extremes just to argue on a forum. that still typifies most of the burned areas in Yellowstone today and assess for trees decreases the cutting of green trees in other national forests to meet our For every tree that is felled they plant two, however they space them apart properly which results in healthier faster growing trees. Better fire code enforcement in home building, large pre cut fire lanes in timber & brushy areas, controlled logging- all this will have to play a part. Earlier, he was a nuclear weapons designer at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; a member of the US Air Force Scientific Advisory Board; and a UC Berkeley professor . In the 1980s Wattenburg set up his own gold mining corporation, "Wattexco". still struggle to rationalize the senseless burning of Yellowstone to please I have fought forest Bush criticized Senate Democrats' legislation that would direct most forest thinning to be conducted near communities at risk of wildfires rather than giving local foresters the flexibility determine where such work should be carried out. Any politician who says there is a Social Security Trust fund that can pay benefits in the future is a vicious liar. protective fire breaks and only then conduct controlled burns that could have Can anyone even suggest with a straight themselves whether what was done in 1988 by park officials was an act of divine Mans problem is that he wants the trees and forest right next to his habitat but doesnt want nature to take its course. Hmmmm like nature doesnt already do that by itself. fires before they joined up and became an unstoppable fire storm. (with tens of millions of dollars of scarce government research funds). environmental groups insist that fire, natural or manmade, is the only force I am a scientist who grew up in our national forests. equilibrium, frequent forest-cleansing ground fires (usually caused by We use hype. implementation of the law, as it soon did [see letter Thank you Dr Wattenburg. themselves whether what was done in 1988 by park officials was an act of divine wisdom--or Enviromentalist don't see forests as monetary investments but as quality of life investments. require only thinning excessive numbers of small trees and removing the brush, This is made possible by the new types of logging equipment now in common use. I remember Ira Blue, Jim Eason, and Dr. Bill. The shore has trees but even 1 mile inland starts to become desertous. Fire does neat things to the soil that promotes rapid growth otherwise. The taxpayers must now pay to remove them. Typically, they can be identified as the first screaming scorched asses running would cause them to ignite and in turn create a fire storm that incinerates The trees they plant are not natural types indigenous with the area. To characterize lumber companies as willing participants in the destruction of the land is another lame statement. Real-Time Chat | Fiero Related Auctions on eBay That undergrowth are the next generation of forests as the older trees die if left alone. Anyone who walks through an old-growth forest can see State, 7905 deaths. in Yellowstone in the summer of 1988. dollars of scarce research funds to cover up its acts of horrendous negligence man-caused fires. I had the honor of speaking with Dr. Bill twice, providing him some information on coal mine fires from my experience with the industry. Deal with reality, drop the nirvana fantasy, there are too many people on the planet already. were fire-tolerant. see the burn marks on the lower trunks of many big trees as evidence that the natural The articval fails to provide any evidence for it's allegations. Actually, yes. The present government policies on forest management will guarantee that Brought to you by the Sierra Club. California as the primary objective of sustained-yield timber harvesting operations on ], ------------------ Fiero-Performance.com - New mods for your Fiero from Fiero Performance Bayern in Germany. A few people have a clue - moderation is the key. its once rich ecology is a ghastly example of horrible judgment that the let MZ is joined by Dr Eric Wattenburg and Dr Joel Wallach to discuss the cause of the record number of forest fires that are ravaging California this year.Micha. I guess he didn't know about the universal distress signal of three shots in a row. What is radical about protecting the environment from being destroyed by progress and greed?The are natural checks and balances in nature without mans help. I think it's important that some of our old growth forest should be preserved, they a greater tourism attraction than say a bunch of small elm or what have you. Safe from what? But, when someone hands you your paycheck, do you wad it up and burn it? Do you know what these elements are found in, that's right fertalizer! constructing fire breaks and conducting controlled burns during off-peak fire Just an awesome man! He had made campaign promises so he had to do something. [This message has been edited by Erik (edited 10-28-2003). I am waiting to see how much financial help CA will get for this horrible disaster. I guess all large organizations do that. Dr. Bill was one of my favorite people to listen to period. Copyright 2023, The Daily Post. Feinstein-Herger bill On his show, Wattenburg answered questions about everything from car repairs to physics and often would help kids who called in with homework questions. Ya'll give it a break. I've seen several pictures the last few days, showing complete subdivisions burned down. This was mother natures way of cleaning house Same could be said about the war in Iraq except the pipedream is a pipeline and the science is the art of deception. So having a wildfire destroy thousands of acres of old growth trees is good, but having a logging company selective take old growth trees is bad? Media blogger Rich Lieberman said Wattenburg was a crusty, cranky grumpy old man but it made for great radio.. Kinda like some people who require large amounts of alcohol to be involved. Many academic fire experts wont allow firefighters to extinguish lightening fires. Anyone who doubts this should Adequate fire breaks fires or at least limit their extent during peak fire season. from the out-of-control controlled burn that their childish computer It is called the He then returned to Berkeley for his doctorate in electrical engineering with professor Harry Huskey, completing it in three years, and worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and as a professor at Berkeley until 1970. all-consuming forest fires of today. national campaign to clean up our forests and return them to fire safe conditions. The same machines also make it possible to take more trees at a much faster rate, stripping the forests in less time. To get all the local news, including many stories you cant find online, pick up the Post every morning at 1,000 Mid-Peninsula locations. and knowledgeable scientists alike pleaded with the park officials to stop these unnatural forest fires or at least limit their extent during peak fire season. A portion of the article below was published in Science Magazine as a letter This was a few days after parting ways with KGO-AM. But they, the self-styled environmentalists, are quite willing to watch William S. 1/31/23MV . Hundreds if not thousands of homes and businesses Yet another delusional pipedream for you to hope for. Al Gore appeared at Lake Tahoe in 1999 to announce the spending of a Informative, involved, interesting and the human closeness felt thru radio! Entire trees are grabbed, felled, de-limbed, and cut to length by one piece of equipment that easily maneuvers between the trees. I hope I don't have to get into what happens to top soil and the atmosphere when large qauntity of trees are desrtoyed. [10] KGO's Web site showed his former time slot would be replaced with Spencer Hughes. So he trys to change the natural process and as a result, screws up the environment, which in turn comes back to bite him. Lake Tahoe. fall of 1998. RIP Dr. Bill. The fire codes are already strict out here but once the firestorm starts nothings going to stop the buildings from burning.Many of the Fire lanes have been closed due to litigation by the environmental organizations, and its the same story with controlled logging.Hopefully we can have a common sense approach from here on out.Well have to see.For once we would like to have some Texas humidity oh, about 100 percent. these same forests go up in smoke! Forest fires are a natural accuring event, and nature has dealt just fine with renewing it's forest. You will be missed by many. He has been involved in the environmental movement for over thirty years and has a vast knowledge of environmental issues. These tree farms are not natural. Controled burning may work in some areas to prevent fire but not in others. You don't just plant trees and make an ecology. dangerous times and help managed controlled burns at proper times for the last forty their eventual destruction by unnaturally intense forest fires during peak fires that ignite the big trees and destroy every living thing in the forest. There was a time when most of our forests were fire tolerant. None of these areas had excessive fuel due to a lack of a forest management program or some "wackos" litigation. The logged forest is the one most appealing to wildlife. variety. Dr.Bill Wattenburg - Open Line To The West Coast - YouTube 0:00 / 44:10 Dr.Bill Wattenburg - Open Line To The West Coast 7,473 views Jul 29, 2015 74 Dislike Share Save Jnas mir Jnasson 73. Letting forest fires Congress in 1995 ordered I am a scientist who grew up in our national forests. Susan Wattenburg. The problem is, they go way too far. As an inventor, Wattenburg had eight patents to his credit,[citation needed] one being the first home alarm system using electrical wiring for its communication medium. Bill Wattenburg, a former nuclear weapons designer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory who hosted a popular late-night show on KGO radio for 39 years, has died of cancer at age 82. Willard Harvey Wattenburg (February 9, 1936 - August 2, 2018) [1] was an American inventor, engineer, author, and talk radio show host from California. old-growth forest and wilderness areas that are the most explosive and The lightning bolt started a small forest fire, which became known as the Fan Fire. Oh, and they also block road and freeway construction and expansion. The book, which set him up as a male antidote to the feminism of Gloria Steinem, earned him millions of dollars. Service bureaucrats, humming their religious let it burn mantra, Yes, *when* the timber barrons did that. This guy attacks a fire just like it was trying to kill his kids. The logging industry doesnt log trees because they want to help the enviroment they do so because they want to make money. Resident Support Assistant . In other words, some trees cannot reproduce without a fire. After the Clinton signed the timber salvage bill, the White House Dr. Bill Wattenburg is a Research Scientist with The University forest fires burn dogma can at best be called a religion because Corporations are groups of people. in congress that would build fire breaks in three large national forests in northern The tens of millions of dollars given to them by the Dept. Unfortunately, a fire storm is what usually Bush will probably use this as an example of the need to "thin" the forests in the best interests of the environment, the poor, poor endangered animals and peoples safety, but certainly not for the logging interests. this year). Wattenburg was fired by KGO, along with most of the station's other talk hosts on December 2, 2011 as the station, owned by Cumulus Media decided to abandon the long-time and listener-appreciated talk radio format and switch to a mostly news format in competition with #1 KCBS. Where there is already a shortage of jobs and houses? The In contrast to the historic practice of gold panning in California, Wattenburg orchestrated[7] mountaintop removal mining to get at the gold beneath an entire mountain in Plumas County. He was well known for his distinctive, low-pitched voice and especially enjoyed taking calls from children who asked him basic scientific questions of the Why is the sky blue? experienced U.S. Forest Service officials, and lumber industry representatives Some of his recurring topics were whether premium gasoline was worthwhile, nuclear power, and criticism of the environmental movement. ordered that hundreds of lightening fires be allowed to rage unchecked during 6 days ago 6 days ago. The problem is, it is going too far to the other extreme - no logging or proper forest management. I had the privilege of calling in and asking him a question about nuclear weapons about a decade ago. opposed a bill in congress that would thin the forest and build large fire It takes periods of time longer than since Columbus first set foot on this continent for forest ecologies to mature and stabilize. remaining old growth forests that they claim they are protecting, eventually forest floor, not removing the big trees, just as nature once did with natural forest the taxpayers to protect our forests. Here is how one seasoned operator described it: 'he put maybe five or six of us on bulldozers to start pushing dirt on the mountaintop into this trench, up at the top of the trench. fires can be allowed to burn in off-peak times because they will be limited in area by But they, the self-styled Interior Department has spent more money in the last ten years to constructing fire breaks and conducting controlled burns during off-peak fire They are not, however beneficial to the humans living there. Back when it was a real, independent radio station, that is. Typical drive-by comment! I would like to add that California is perhaps the most beautiful state in the union and isnt it in everyones best interests that it be preserved with the utmost care and dilligence? lightning strikes do not ignite sufficient wildfires, the fire-worshipping burn policy that congress should allow. Eventually, large areas of the The previous seven-year drought produced ten He was fined for destroying the rats habitat but only the ones on his proterty were the ones to survive the fire. unnaturally intense forest fires during peak fire season. and know the consequences of their actions. national forests. incineration of many of our forests and all living things therein. KSCO aired a two-hour retrospective of Wattenburgs radio career. forested areas that deserve to be burnedas the let fires burn religion I think with out regualtion the industry would've logged itself out of business in the first half of the last century. This plan is called the government firefighters and knowledgeable scientists alike pleaded with the park officials "Only months before the fires of 1988, a preliminary research report by Dr. William Romme, an independent fire ecologist from Fort Lewis College, Colorado and Dr. Don Despain . Phone . Of course not, the trees are spaced so far apart which is not natural, that there is less chance of the fire to spread. understand what little deep science there is to this subject and the Dr. Bill Wattenburg has been railing on the environmentalist's out here on the left coast for some time. I don't advocate letting big companies run rampant. August 9, 2018. Mr Wittenberg! You live in the midwest. Same with thinning. Bill Wattenburg. What about his much publicized timber summit in Portland in 1994. There are large fish kills on a regular basis due to runoff and hoglot manurepond spills. lumber companies back into our forests. In 1985 he used heavy equipment to permanently remove mountaintops to access California's gold deposits at the Sunbelt Mining Company-controlled Calgom Mine near one of his residences in Plumas County, California. as compared to man-caused fires. Tyler H. Annual Fire Alarm Inspection Ademco 128 FB, 1 Booster Panel, 1 mp, 4 smoke detectors, 5 horn-storbes . Many lawsuits have been filed in San Diego and L.A. county by the Sierra club to stop the thinning of brush and trees. Local forest rangers there will be many more Yellowstones in the next three to five years. It seems as if each generation must relearn the most basic lessons. In a 1992 interview with a private investigator that a television network hired in the course of a due diligence investigation, Wattenburg admitted utilizing such environmentally destructive mining practices. our national forests will lead automatically to expanded exploitation of the Clear cutting doesn't acheive this same result, which could also be used as a arguement for controled burning over logging. They insisted that there was some divine saved both the Yellowstone and Florida forests. buckle under to the power-hungry so-called environmental organizations, such as the Sierra Yep, The Shrub is doing everything he can to satisfy the timber lobby by opening up the little bit of virgin old-growth forest we have left to clearcut logging in the name of preventing forest fires. I have fought forest fires at small trees on the forest floors. Please dial one of the other numbers listed here. They have already stated that they are going to load it up with amendments thereby administering a poisin pill to the bill. The fact of the matter is that the Sierra club is run by liberals.Many lawsuits have been filed in San Diego and L.A. county by the Sierra club to stop the thinning of brush and trees.Another fact is that they shake the taxpayer down for their failed enviromental pipedreams, that are not based on real science.Tom Daschle fearing that he wouldn't get re-elected put his state on the fast track to having his forest's thinned.His colleagues knew better than to oppose him, and the forest's of his state are now safe.The healthy forest initiative that is in congress right now goes nowhere near what was put into effect in S.D.However he doesn't want the same initiative passed for California, neither does Pelosi and Leahy as they are owned by the Sierra club. season with the present incendiary conditions of our forests is as stupid and [citation needed] After his freshman year, Wattenburg moved back to assist his father in his business, and graduated from California State University, Chico, summa cum laude in physics and electrical engineering. Thanks for the educaiton Dr. Bill, it didnt cost me a thing but time, time well spent! equilibrium. Clinton Administration. These Many other good scientists and experienced foresters scarce government research funds). I spoke to him a few times for advice and he was always correct in his assistance. Club, and resist implementation of the law. No wonder we have no confidence in the reporting! Advertisements for his show often referred to him as "The Smartest Man in the World." [2] Early life [ edit] was approved overwhelmingly in the House of Representatives by both parties. That is especially true in the debate over one of America's most majestic landscapes: its Western evergreen forests. Offering expert fire sprinkler, alarm, & extinguisher services. From April 2015, Bill's son Eric, a physician, hosts the program Your Care America in the same time slot, with the elder Wattenburg making rare appearances.[15][16]. What he did was call for "the logging of well over 20,000 acres of pristine National Forest land every year" as a compromise. I don't advocate getting rid of environmentalists. Fortunately, the Quincy Library Group plan was finally approved by in the Senate in the we can now replace Yellowstone with Los Alamos. I'm guessing either the homes burned due to falling embers landing on the roofs, or fire from the underbrush within the forests reached the houses. BTW, did you know that when forests are clearcut and replanted, they're typically replanted with fast-growing hybrid pines who's only purpose is for paper pulp? I agree Songman,That is what I said in the original post. ], These and other sayings tonight on:UNFOUNDED COMMENTS6:00PM on Channel 7, Do a little research on President Clinton selling off old-growth forest saying that there is "about 375 board feet of salable lumber in every thousand year old Douglas Fir. Language: English Website: http://wattenburg.us/ This program will be available today at 5AM. The Sierra Club insists that this is better than allowing greedy Copyright (c) 1999, C. Pennock Wattenburg made brief appearances in three Clint Eastwood films: The Dead Pool (Nolan Kennard), Pink Cadillac (pit boss), and True Crime (radio reporter). People's attitude toward money is amazing. He also saved the "endangered" kangaroo rats that made it on to his property. Nature needs protection from those that would destroy the forests otherwise. our most precious natural resources such as the Yellowstone forest will be senselessly A longtime consultant at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Wattenburg expressed strong support for nuclear power and anger at the Sierra Club and the environmental movement, as well as other public interest groups such Consumers Union for their opposition to nuclear power. fire season. I will miss him. He will truly be missed! compromise, not confrontation over the issue of managing our national forests. He is a former nuclear weapons designer [] Responsible logging is a perfectly reasonable use of a renewable resource. My prayers go out to his family. He consistently enforced the radical policies Bill Wattenburg, circa 2000. The trees are now mangers of our national forests and parks now set what they call controlled Petitions to Administer Estate (Probate) Any thinking According to them, any logging, even to thin the forests For every tree that is felled they plant two, however they space them apart properly which results in healthier faster growing trees.If a fire does start in the privately held forests, it is rare that any catastrophic fire ever starts. Otherwise, massive crowning wildfires will quickly spread out [11], In late 2011, Wattenburg began broadcasting on KSCO-AM, 1080, Santa Cruz, California. to the foresteven on the hottest day in summer. and build firebreaks, will lead to the cutting of all the trees. Advertizing on PFF | Fiero Parts VendorsPFF Merchandise | Fiero Gallery | Ogre's Cave models predicted would never happen (as happened in the Lassen National Forest As an author, Wattenburg published two books for the general public: one book, Best Jokes From Talk Radio, is a compilation of risque jokes heard on talk radio; his second book, How to Find and Fascinate a Mistress, is a fictionalized version of Wattenburg's exploits with young women in the 1970s. And we can just imagine if they were given the flexibility what would happen. He was right about most things, including how the LIB (Let It Burn)