Deregulation Will Prevent Superfires

AUDIO: When the Santa Ana wind blows 50+ MPH gusts of hot desert air through the canyons surrounding the Los Angeles Basin, there is no amount of firefighting capacity or water supply infrastructure that can quickly and completely stop the flames. But the extent of these catastrophes can be greatly reduced if the fuel is reduced. California needs to deregulate mechanical thinning, controlled burns, grazing, and timber harvesting; it needs to quit making it nearly impossible for property owners and public land managers to take these steps to reduce the available fuel. From the western slopes of the Sierras to the Santa Monica Mountains, the density of trees and shrubs in California is many times what is historically normal. This was a political choice. It can and must be reversed. Edward Ring with host Nik Bhatia on the Bitcoin Layer podcast.

Edward Ring

Edward Ring is a contributing editor and senior fellow with the California Policy Center, which he co-founded in 2013 and served as its first president. He is also a senior fellow with the Center for American Greatness, and a regular contributor to the California Globe. His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, Forbes, and other media outlets.

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