JASON RANTZ

Hutchison: Mismanagement has worsened Washington fires

Aug 31, 2018, 11:54 PM

susan hutchison...

Susan Hutchison. (KIRO 7)

(KIRO 7)

Where there’s smoke making its way across Washington, there is forest mismanagement. That’s the message from for Washington state GOP chair and current Republican candidate for senator, Susan Hutchison.

“I think a lot of us city slickers think that the only answer is what extreme environmentalists have told us, which is: ‘Hands off our federal forests, don’t let any human beings near them,'” Hutchison told The Jason Rantz Show. “But that’s not what a healthy forest looks like. A healthy forest is taken care of; it’s stewarded, like a garden.”

Hutchison points to the Yakama tribe as a great example of a forest being taken care of.

“They have healthy, burdened forests. And right next to them are the federal forests that are full of beetles, bugs, and decay, and they are ripe for forests fires.”

RELATED: Susan Hutchison: ‘The Democrat party is no friend of small business’

Hutchison came in second behind Dow Constantine in the 2009 election for King County Executive, and later served as state Republican Party chair from 2013 until a just few months ago. At the time, her departure was seen as a sign she might be appointed to a position in Trump’s administration. Instead, she opted to challenge Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell.

Intelligent logging can help prevent fires

She doesn’t believe that forest fires can be prevented in the case of anomalies like lighting, but that we can control how bad those fires get and how long they burn by not allowing the forests to reach a state of kindling.

Specifically, there are techniques that good logging can create, Hutchison says, including the clearing out of dry underbrush with dead trees that threaten the live ones.

“There is no more sustainable industry in the country than logging,” Hutchison said. “Because they know that if they don’t replant, we’re not going to have any logging in the future. One of the interesting facts about forestry is that a growing forest absorbs a lot more carbon dioxide than a mature forest. We should have growing forests all around us.”

“Our extreme environmentalists have really been the tail that wags the dog for several decades. We cannot allow them to run our lives anymore.”

Jason Rantz on AM 770 KTTH
  • listen to jason rantzTune in to AM 770 KTTH weekdays at 3-7pm toThe Jason Rantz Show.

Jason Rantz Show

Jason Rantz

Burien lawsuit...

Jason Rantz

Exclusive: City of Burien sues King County for breaking contract in homeless camping ban

The City of Burien filed a lawsuit against King County for its refusal to enforce a homeless camping ban that was lawfully adopted.

20 hours ago

Image: The Stevens County Sheriff's Office says it recently received an odd call from a Sasquatch h...

Jason Rantz

Rantz: Sheriff’s office asked legality of hunting Sasquatch in Stevens County

A Sasquatch hunter had an interesting question for the Stevens County sheriff. Is it legal to hunt Sasquatch?

2 days ago

Image: Children bike past Wilson Elementary in Spokane....

Jason Rantz

Rantz: ‘Racist’ Spokane elementary school’s ‘slaves and hobos’ ignites controversy

After a teacher told students they could dress as "slaves and hobos" for an event, the Spokane NAACP cried foul.

3 days ago

Images: At left, Bellevue Police Department Officer Kevin Bereta is seen in his uniform. At right, ...

Julia Dallas

Bellevue officer injured in VP Harris motorcade recalls road to reclaiming benefits

Bellevue Police Officer Kevin Bereta's life changed while he was on VP Kamala Harris' service detail during her visit to Washington.

3 days ago

permanent supportive housing...

Jason Rantz

Rantz: You’re being lied to about permanent supportive housing in Redmond

Redmond residents rightly push back against permanent supportive housing as a solution for the homeless, as Seattle media get in the way.

4 days ago

WA State Attorney General Bob Ferguson campaigning.  (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)...

Jason Rantz

Rantz: On crime, Bob Ferguson campaign made its first massive blunder

The Bob Ferguson campaign wants you thinking his top priority is crime. His entire political history says otherwise.

5 days ago

Hutchison: Mismanagement has worsened Washington fires