Has anyone heard about the Governor pushing to allow logging along Lower Fish Creek one of southeastern Utah's Blue Ribbon streams?
Word has it after the Seely Creek fire the state is looking to reduce wildfire hazards and that they are looking at the area around there. Some of the land is DWR property that is meant for the benefit of fish and wildlife.
Doesn't the Governor value the benefit of our Blue Ribbon fisheries?
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I will throw in my opinion here. Ist lets learn from the seeley fire. I grew up hunting on gentry mountain (area most effected by the seely fire) The forest stands there where very thick and even difficult to walk through due to the dead fall , a condition very similar to the areas above lower fish creek. The results of the fire were devasting to another blue ribbon fishery in huntington canyon. The lack of forest floor vegetation has caused major erosion , which has run off into the river and literal destroyed it for years to come. Now consider that logging some areas would allow for some under growth root systems to grow and hold the hill sides in similar conditions. If you want evidence of this drive up on gentry mountain and observe the hillsides with the scrub oak, aspen mingled in the pines verses the former heavily timbered ,, and the devastaded areas are clear.
So in short , from what I have seen with my own eyes , some logging would do exactly what you hope for, protect that blue ribbon stream. I believe the forest service is very concerned about avoiding another seeley fire devastation. And logging the area would be a great start.
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You make some very good points, Lonnie. I guess maybe it's the lesser of two evils. Better to have some damage due to logging than to lose the watershed to a possible wildfire. Hopfully if they do log it that it will be done with the least amount of additional roads.
Huntington Creek will never be the same in my lifetime.
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