[Margaret Benzer]

In Arizona, home to the largest stand of ponderosa pines, forest fires are an
integral part of the ecosystem.  It is the only way the seeds will germinate.
Unfortunately, as seen earlier this summer with the Chediski-Rodeo Fire, it can
get out of control.  But what wasn't reported much out of the state was that
most of the fire was on the White Mountain Apache Indian land which is NOT
controlled by the US government.  The tribe has been doing sustainable
harvesting and lumber practices for years.  They even have tried to do
prescribed burns, but the people in the nearby towns fought it because they
didn't want the smoke to interfere with their views of the mountains.  So the
underbrush built up.  And then the politicians started saying to the media that
it was the fault of radical environmentalists who have fought harvesting.
Excuse me; this land is off limits to lumber companies because it is tribal
land.  The politicians kindof neglected to mention that in their press
releases.

What really angers me is that the woman who set the Chediski fire will not be
charged because she was lost (never mind common sense that you don't go off
walking in the woods with no water and just two cigarettes).  Two other hikers
lately have been found who didn't have to set fires to be seen.  She has been
unapologetic the whole time as is her boss who went around barricades to go
into the closed sections of the forest when they got stuck.  They should both
be charged by the tribe with trespassing at the least, but that is another
story...

Margaret