DHS chief’s nod to climate change and wildfires begs question: Did she read GAO report?

Helicopters are used for fire suppression by the U.S. Forest Service. [Photo: U.S. Forest Service News Release]Dept. of Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano linked climate change to the Colorado wildfires, according to The Hill:

“You have to look at climate change over a period of years, not just one summer,” Napolitano said. “You could always have one abnormal summer. But when you see one after another after another then you can see, yeah, there’s a pattern here.”

Did Napolitano read the U.S. Government Accountability Office report on wildfires? After all, she was govenor of Arizona, so you'd think that report would catch her eye.

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Tombstone needs shovels, cash for water pipe repair delayed by battle with Forest Service

Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) testified before the House Resources Committee in an effort to help the residents of Tombstone repair a vital water pipeline despite being obstructed by the federal government.The city of Tombstone (Ariz.), famous for gunfights and Old West lore, is in a battle for its life. Water pipes were damaged after human-caused wildfires in 2011. In testimony before the House Resources Committee on Friday, Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said big boulders had rolled into springs that feed the water source. Flake said the pipes pre-date Arizona statehood.

Now Tombstone is asking for help.

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Obama administration obstructs Tombstone residents' water line repairs after wildfires

Sign depicting character of Tombstone, Ariz. in 1937. (Photo: U.S. Library of Congress, by Dorothea Lange)
The city of Tombstone (Ariz.) is struggling to repair water lines damaged in the 2011 Monument and Horseshoe 2 wildfires in Cochise County. City residents aren't just struggling with a harsh physical environment. They're also having to fight the federal government.

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Does ruling by USDA assistant secretary encourage looting rare plants in US forests?

Wilderness area in Olympic National Forest (Washington). (Photo US Forest Service)What do you do when you’re an officer with the U.S. Forest Service and you come up on a couple who appear to be “illegally harvesting plants in the Olympic National Forest?” You approach and question them. What do you do when you realize the couple doesn’t speak English?

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