As wildfires rage in Southern California, some experts are calling for a revision of policies that encourage controlled burns to reduce fire risks.
Fuel management simply causes more fires, according to Jon Keeley, a research ecologist with U.S. Geologic Survey and a chaparral expert.
"The problem for the chaparral - and the many humans who live nearby - is the frequency of such fires. There are about 100 times more wildfire ignitions in Southern California today than in 1900, says Keeley, who has tracked the region's fire history back to the 19th century.
...Land management policy in the chaparral zone has long been based on the belief that fuel management can limit the size and severity of wildfires. Believing chaparral needed to burn because of an "unhealthy" accumulation of old growth, land managers ordered controlled burns in order to thin the flora and make it more fire resistant. An expanding volume of research is refuting the wisdom of this practice."
FULL STORY: Drought, Not 'Old Chaparral,' Aiding Wildfires

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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

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HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City
The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

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A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users
A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.
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