Thread: Desert Visions (Illegals and Forest Fires)

http://american-rattlesnake.org/2016...cks-peak-fire/

The chaotic, lawless status quo maintained on our southern border is one of our least-reported domestic catastrophes. This isn’t surprising when you consider the fact that our news media view themselves primarily as a platform for immigrants, illegal aliens and their benefactors more than objective outlets designed to convey pertinent information to the broader American public.

Even when the invasion of American territory is grudgingly acknowledged by the press, it is framed in such a way as to make those trying to protect the integrity of our borders seem like mendacious, reactionary charlatans. The fact that human smugglers and brutal narco cartels are exploiting our government’s beneficence in order to ply their trade is not nearly as compelling to news anchors as the plight of doe-eyed DREAMers...

From 2011.

GAO: Illegal immigrants caused nearly half of border fires


By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times - Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Illegal immigrants started nearly 40 percent of human-ignited wildfires along the border between Arizona and Mexico between 2006 and 2010, according to a government report that gives new credence to claims Arizona lawmakers made earlier this year during catastrophic blazes in the Southwest.

That number may even be understated — the report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said federal land agencies often violate their own policies by not trying to investigate the origins of human-caused fires. Of the 422 human-caused fires, just 77 were investigated, and of those 30 were found to have been ignited by people illegally crossing the border.

Illegal immigration also makes battling the fires harder as firefighters worry more about their own safety and have to curb some tactics such as backfires for fear of harming illegal immigrants who may still be in the area, investigators for the congressional watchdog agency said in Tuesday’s report.

“According to agency officials, the presence of illegal border-crossers has increased concerns about firefighter safety and, in some instances, has required firefighters to change or limit the tactics they use in suppressing fires. For example, the presence of illegal border-crossers has limited firefighting activities at night and complicated the use of aerial firefighting methods,” the agency said in a 60-page report.

Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, had requested the report last year. The findings appear to back up his claims that illegal immigrants were responsible for starting at least some of the blazes that burned in Arizona and New Mexico earlier this year.
“I hope this report is a lesson to the activists and public officials that would prefer to engage in partisan character attacks rather than help focus the discussion on the vital need secure our southern border,” Mr. McCain said.

Federal agencies have struggled for years to balance their land-management duties with the pressures of illegal immigration along the border.

Some public lands managers along the U.S.-Mexico border have told The Washington Times they spend as much as half of their annual budgets dealing with the effects of illegal immigration, from picking up trash and hauling out abandoned smuggling vehicles to rehabilitating fragile environmental areas used by illegal crossers.

The GAO, in its report, said historic locations such as the Fort Bowie National Historic Site have “been compromised” by illegal crossers leaving trash and even human waste there.

Illegal immigrants start fires to cook food, provide warmth or even to attract attention. A 2006 fire that burned about 170 acres was started by an illegal immigrant who got hurt and wanted to be rescued.

Earlier this year Mr. McCain came under fire for saying major blazes along the U.S.-Mexico border may have been started by illegal immigrants.

Those fires happened in 2011, which was outside of the period the GAOexamined, but Mr. McCain said the report’s findings show illegal immigration is a real issue in border fires.

And at the time of the fires this year, a contract firefighter who battled one of the blazes told The Washington Times that firefighters blamed an illegal immigrant and said one was questioned by authorities. Calls to federal land agencies at the time seeking comment were not returned.

In their official response to the GAO findings, the agencies agreed that they could do better to coordinate their responses. Only the U.S. Forest Service has an official guide for firefighting in the border region, but it said the agencies are all trying to come up with an interagency protocol.

The agencies also told the GAO they do not have enough trained fire investigators to look into the exact cause of each blaze.
In the case of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, the law enforcement officers trained to investigate fires were too busy providing security for the firefighters to conduct the investigations required by agency policy.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...ires/?page=all

Illegal immigrants suspected in 30 border fires in Arizona

NOVEMBER 22, 2011 | 1:29 PM

People entering the U.S. illegally from Mexico are believed responsible for more than one-third of human-ignited wildfires in Arizona over a five-year period, according to a government report that could stoke congressional debate over illegal immigration.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said the Government Accountability Office report supports remarks he made earlier this year after his state was hit hard by wildfires. At the time, McCain was accused of "scapegoating" immigrants.

"I hope this report is a lesson to the activists and public officials that would prefer to engage in partisan character attacks rather than help focus the discussion on the vital need to secure our southern border," he said in a statement.

Illegal immigrants are believed to have started 30 of 77 fires that were investigated from 2006 through 2010, according to the report by the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress.

Federal land management agencies, however, did not investigate all 422 human-caused fires on federal and tribal land, as called for by federal policy.

"Only 18% of fires on federal land during the five-year study period were actually investigated, and thus, the number and size of fires linked to illegal border crossers may actually be higher," McCain said.

Of the 30 fires, nine burned more than 100 acres each, 16 burned 10 to 100 acres, and five burned fewer than 10 acres, according to the report.

Efforts to signal for help, provide warmth or cook food appear to be the source of the fires, according to the report. One 2006 fire that burned about 170 acres started after an injured border crosser signaled his need for help. The causes of some of the fires are not known, but the report noted that some occurred in areas known for drug smuggling.

"The presence of illegal border crossers has complicated fire suppression activities in the Arizona border region," the report said, adding that it has "increased concern about firefighter safety, and, in some instances, has required firefighters to change or limit the tactics they use in suppressing fires."

Only a limited number of fires were studied because of the lack of investigators, according to the GAO report, which could set off a congressional debate over whether federal agencies are receiving enough money from Congress to prevent fires. The report notes that the percentage of fires caused by human activity in Arizona is "consistent with the national average."

"In a time of constrained resources and competing needs, we recognize that investigating all human-caused wildland fires in the Arizona border region may not be feasible," the report notes.

The report urges officials in Arizona to look at a program in California aimed at reducing fires from illegal immigration. Cleveland National Forest has a crew that hikes trails known to be used by illegal border crossers and extinguishes abandoned campfires, according to the report. In 2008 alone, the crew extinguished 101 abandoned campfires that the report said could have grown into larger, more damaging fires.

The GAO study began in 2010, so it didn't take into account the 2011 fire season, the worst in Arizona history, that McCain said included two fires that destroyed more than 60 homes.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nati...s-arizona.html

I guess these are the "contributions" of illegal aliens in the United States, trying to burn it down in one way or another or all ways and means available.

It's disgusting. They have no respect for our country or citizens. We know that. So WHY are they still here when we have laws that clearly state they are to be deported??!!

We're run by traitors, that's why, all traitor-gangsters on the take with the drug cartels behind this disaster.

From the Department of Agriculture Cleveland National Forest. There is a lot about this in many places.

Land Management Plan Strategy - Suitable Land Uses (Pine Creek) Land Management Plan Strategy - Suitable Land Uses Prospectus - Place-Based Program Emphasis Pine Creek Theme: This Place is a wilderness landscape that contains the southern portal of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. The Place features an undeveloped canyon landscape with two designated areas of wilderness that include high-quality riparian habitats with important populations of wildlife species. It is one of the most remote and isolated Places on the Cleveland National Forest, offering opportunities for solitude and quiet contemplation. Setting: The Pine Creek Place is an undeveloped, wilderness landscape where evidence of human activities is not common. It is located in the extreme southwestern corner of the national forest. Hauser Canyon and Pine Valley Creek Canyon are the most distinctive landscape features. Pine Valley Creek drains from the Laguna Mountains to the south and Cottonwood Creek flows west through Hauser Canyon. The creeks meet at Barrett Lake Reservoir. Elevations range from 1,600 to 4,400 feet; the canyons are rough, steep and narrow, rising as much as 1,500 feet in less than a mile. Residential communities of Japatul Valley and Deerhorn Valley are within and adjacent to this Place. Most of the area is covered with coastal sage and broadleaf chaparral. Granite boulders and rocky outcroppings dot the landscape. Although the streams are dry most of the year, riparian and oak woodlands (comprised of oaks, cottonwood, and willows) thrive in the grassy canyons. Water is generally unavailable; running water occurring only during rainy periods and during spring run-off. Most of the vegetation in the Place is approximately 35 years old and in healthy condition. However, recent drought has resulted in the mortality of chaparral species which has increased fire suppression and community protection needs. Vegetation and fuels projects have opened some areas to unauthorized off-highway vehicle use. There are other areas where prescribed fire within designated wilderness could improve community protection. Arson along transportation corridors and illegal campfires related to undocumented immigration are the primary sources of wildland fire in this Place. Impacts associated with undocumented immigration (including unclassified trails, litter and sanitation problems, law enforcement actions, and health and safety threats to the public and immigrants) present a significant management challenge in this Place. The current emphasis on fire prevention in this Place (known as the Border Fire Prevention Program) is expected to continue. Pine Valley Creek has high-quality riparian habitat and important populations of arroyo toad (Bufo californicus), least Bell's vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus), and southwestern pond turtle (Clemmys marmorata pallida). Limited access to Pine Creek has resulted in minimal impacts to wildlife. Eagles are seen within the Pine Creek Place. Water is randomly discharged from Lake Morena into Hauser Canyon. The unnatural release schedule affects habitat and wildlife communities. Interstate 8 and Lyons Valley Road from Horsethief Trailhead to the national forest boundary are the main roads in the Pine Creek Place. Interstate 8 and Lyons Valley Road offer views of the rugged Pine Creek Wilderness. Interstate 8 forms the northern tip of the Pine Creek Place. For millions of visitors traveling westward on the Interstate, views of the Pine Creek Wilderness from the Interstate 8 corridor will be their last glimpse of undeveloped land before they descend into the rural and urban landscape of southern California. The Pine Creek Place is the southern gateway to the 2,560-mile Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. This important trail cuts across the extreme east corner of the Pine Creek Place. The Place is remote and isolated. Recreation use fluctuates depending upon the availability of water and seasonal temperatures. The trails within the Pine Creek Place receive little use. Patterns of land ownership and lack of public easements limit public access to Hauser Canyon. Unauthorized access on the north side of Hauser Wilderness from the adjacent OHV area is a management challenge. Non-conforming uses (e.g., drug trafficking, nonsystem trails, litter and undocumented immigration) affect the agency's ability to protect and manage the wilderness character of this Place. Existing Wilderness: Hauser Wilderness 6,834 acres Pine Creek Wilderness 13,368 acres Recommended Wilderness: Pine Creek (Pine Creek Wilderness) 449 acres Hauser South (Hauser Wilderness) 2,302 acres Total national forest acres--Pine Creek Place: 33,561 Desired Condition: The Pine Creek Place is maintained as a predominantly naturally evolving area that functions as a remote, undeveloped, wilderness landscape where only ecological changes are evident. The valued landscape attributes to be preserved or developed over time are pristine canyon woodland communities; vegetative diversity as expressed by healthy, coastal sage scrub communities; the natural appearance of the landscape—especially in those areas visible from the Interstate 8 and Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail corridor and from key vista points along these corridors; and the undisturbed/undeveloped character of the Pine Creek Wilderness. A network of hiking and equestrian trails provide a range of wilderness experiences and challenges. Incorporate recent land acquisitions into Hauser Canyon and Pine Creek Wilderness Areas and expand Hauser Wilderness to the south. Program Emphasis: Maintain the current character and level of development within the Pine Creek Place. Emphasize dispersed recreation opportunities. Management activities are to promote wilderness values. Manage wilderness areas in accordance with up-to-date wilderness plans. Move toward elimination of existing roads and power lines within the wilderness areas, and minimize trespass with motorized vehicles. Maintain scenic views from the Interstate 8 corridor. Maintain or develop long distance trail networks for hiking, backpacking and equestrian use. Develop access to loop trails and day-use opportunities within the wilderness. Develop common management goals for open-space protection and land acquisition plans for Lake Morena and Barrett Lake in cooperation with San Diego water authorities. Cooperate with San Diego water authorities to achieve water discharge from Lake Morena which mimics natural conditions and supports unique wildlife and plant values. Maintain existing fuelbreaks and increase community protection efforts. Enhance defensible space and firefighter and public safety. Introduce prescribed fire into Pine Creek and Hauser Wilderness Areas. Minimize wildland fires related to immigration routes through the Border Fire Prevention Program. Control and reduce resource damage due to undocumented immigration. Next section: San Dieguito/Black Mountain http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/clevel...fsbdev7_016604

More from the archives. But in most cases if they were started by illegals and drug cartels at their massive "grow sites" in national forests, the news never gets around to telling the rest of the story.....

These are a few.

http://www.alipac.us/f12/despite-cos...ntinue-239568/

http://www.alipac.us/f12/firefighter...s-keep-245055/

http://www.alipac.us/f9/smokejumpers...forest-278177/

http://www.alipac.us/rim-fire-did-il...rt-blaze-2231/

Then there is this.

http://www.alipac.us/f19/al-qaeda-bl...-fires-281069/

http://www.alipac.us/f9/expert-warns...n-west-281109/

I guess these are the "contributions" of illegal aliens in the United States, trying to burn it down in one way or another or all ways and means available.

It's disgusting. They have no respect for our country or citizens.

My experience is that they are "satanic", "no respect for women" and are sleaze balls that would kill you in a minute flat; they like to use knifes to slit your throat with no hesitation.