Wildfire Wildlife And Wild Horses – There Is A Connection Says Naturalist-Rancher

REDDING, Calif. - Sept. 5, 2018 - PRLog -- According to a study published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science: "By altering the quantity and distribution of fuel supplies, large herbivores can shape the frequency, intensity, and spatial distribution of fires across a landscape."

"Catastrophic wildfire is devastating forest and wildland ecosystems, taking life, destroying homes and spreading deadly toxic smoke across America at an alarming rate. And as it does some scientists and agency heads are completely overlooking the critical aspect and monetary value of the evolutionary role of native species megafauna in the landscape," says William E. Simpson II, a naturalist-rancher who grew-up in the mountains of Southwest Oregon.

Mr. Simpson, a former rancher and logger who was trained to be scientist has spent the last 5-years living in the wilderness studying the evolving wildfire, wildlife and wild horse issues that have now culminated into an annual catastrophic wildfire season. On an annual-basis total U.S. wildfire losses have arguably reached $1-trillion! Insurance companies are now declining wildfire coverage across vast areas of the western U.S.  This as the public health impacts and costs are rising exponentially, arguably leading to $-billions in additional annualized healthcare costs.

Mr. Simpson disagrees with Secretary Zinke's assessment and proposal for addressing catastrophic wildfire. Mr. Simpson believes that, "Short of a fully-integrated forest and wildlands management plan, which includes a 'mixed herbivory' component that leverages cost-effective native-species wild horses deployed from BLM and USFS corrals into remote deer-depleted wilderness ecosystems along with livestock grazing in other more accessible areas, Sec. Zinke's plan is light on prevention and heavy on logging and suppression and as such will fail."

According to Mr. Simpson, "An examination of the 2018 U.S. Forest Service (USFS) budget shows roughly $2.5-billion allocated for fighting wildfires (aka; 'suppression'), but shockingly only about 3.5% of the total budget is dedicated to wildfire prevention. As it appears by following the money, there is scant financial incentive to engage in wildfire prevention. And most of the so-called 'prevention' that is funded in the USFS budget (and per Sec. Zinke) relates to even more burning, as in 'prescribed burns', which in some cases leads to uncontrolled wildfires and more devastation. And in any case prescribed burns, which cost taxpayers about $400.00/acre create even more toxic smoke and air pollution. Mechanical 'mowing' is not suitable for most wilderness forest and wildland areas, not mention being very expensive at about $800.00 per acre."

"The United States Forest Service ('USFS') and the Department of the Interior ('DOI') are no strangers to failure. And now that Secretary Ryan Zinke is heading up the DOI, it seems he is heading down the same well-worn path to dismal results. Merely one recent example of the BLM's failing methods includes their forming a natural resource management plan for wild horses around a manifestly false statement in writing, and then submitting the canard to the Congress and the American People as is contained in a 'Report' sent to Congress in May of 2018 titled; 'Management Options For A Sustainable Wild Horse And Burro Program'."

"In that so-called 'Report', on page-one of the 'Executive Summary', the beginning of the fifth paragraph on that page begins with a manifestly false statement; 'Wild Horses and burros have no natural predators...' That same misrepresentation as to wild horses and burros is also the foundational premise that drives the remainder of their so-called program. So in reality we arguably have one or more BLM scientists, who likely signed-off on this farce of a plan, and therefore now seem to be writing fiction for a living. And then they have the audacity to wonder why they are no-longer trusted by many Americans. Anyone can own a domestic horse and the fact the Secretary Zinke made a big deal about riding his to work is meaningless. Understanding wild horses and their important evolutionary mutualistic roles within American forests and wildlands requires many years of study from inside a natural ecosystem with wild horses, something I have accomplished by living among them for 5-years," continued Mr. Simpson.

As a result of those years spent studying wild horses in a naturally balance ecosystem, Mr. Simpson produced and recently released a new 'micro-mini documentary' film titled 'Wild Horses'. Simpson's film was recently 'Officially Selected' by the EQUUS Film Festival and will make its official premiere at the FEI Equestrian World Championships in Tryon North Carolina (Sept. 11-23, 2018). This new film examines wild horses living in a naturally balanced fire-resilient ecosystem.

More here:
https://vimeo.com/285882192



"Catastrophic wildfire, which is not normal wildfire expected in the landscape, has less to do with a warmer climate than about highly flammable 1-hour fuels choking the landscape now that the megafauna are depleted."

More here: http://www.myoutdoorbuddy.com/articles/137693/catastrophic-wildfire:-its-not-just-about-trees!-its-about-kindling,-1-hour-fuels-and-depleted-megafauna.php

"Solving catastrophic wildfire and toxic smoke requires new 'out of the box thinking', not more of the same old institutionalized thinking," as Mr. Simpson penned in his latest article titled 'Wildfire-Evolved Blind-Spot': www.myoutdoorbuddy.com/articles/138214/the-wildfire-evolved-blind-spot:-fire-evolved-landscapes-are-missing-fire-evolved-megafauna.php

During a May 4^th interview on theDoveTV network, naturalist- rancher William E. Simpson II outlined the serious issues related to the mismanagement of forests, wildfire, wildlife and wild horses.



More information: http://www.myoutdoorbuddy.com/columns/1048/capt.-william-...