DAVID: DEVASTATING WILDFIRES
CONTINUE TO RAGE ACROSS
CALIFORNIA.
THE U.S. MILITARY IS NOW
PREPARING TO SEND 200 ACTIVE
DUTY SOLDIERS TO BATTLE THE FIRE
ZONE AND THE BLAZES NOW
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF
NINE PEOPLE.
AT LEAST 18 FIRES ARE STILL
BURNING IN THE STATE WITH THE
MENDOCINO FIRE NOW CONSIDERED
THE SECOND LARGEST IN CALIFORNIA
HISTORY.
IT COVERS 425,000 SQUARE MILES.
OFFICIALS SAY IT IS ONLY ABOUT
30% CONTAINED.
MELISSA.
MELISSA: PRESIDENT TRUMP
WEIGHING IN ON WILDFIRES,
TWEETING CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
ARE BEING MAGNIFIED AND MADE SO
MUCH WORSE BY THE BAD
ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS WHICH AREN'T
ALLOWING MASSIVE AMOUNT OF
READILY AVAILABLE WATER TO BE
PROPERLY UTILIZED.
IT IS BEING DIVERTED INTO THE
PACIFIC OCEAN.
MOSTLOUS TREE CLEAR TO STOP FIRE
SPREADING.
HERE TO RESPOND IS CALIFORNIA
CONGRESSMAN TOM McCLINTOCK.
SIR, THANKS FOR JOINING US.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THE STATEMENT?
KNOW WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT
THERE?
>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT CONNECTION
HE IS MAKING BETWEEN THE
CALIFORNIA'S TERRIBLE WATER
POLICY AND THE FIRES BUT HE IS
ALL THE EXCESS TIMBER COMES OUT,
IT WILL BE CARRIED OUT OR BURNED
OUT.
IT COMES OUT.
THRIVING LOCAL ECONOMIES AND
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BUT ABOUT 45
YEARS AGO WE BEGAN IMPOSING LAWS
THAT MAKE ACTIVE FOREST
MANAGEMENT.
80% OF TIMBER DECLINED OUT OF
FEDERALLY HARVESTED LANDS AND
INCREASE IN ACREAGE STORED BY
FIRE.
IF I DELIVERED FIVE NEWSPAPERS
TO YOUR DOORSTEP EVERY DAY, AND
ONLY THROUGH ONE OF THEM AWAY,
HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE FOR YOUR
HOME TO BECOME A FIRE TRAP?
WE'RE ONLY TAKING 20% OUT OF THE
ANNUAL FORESTS.
THE REST IS BURNING.
MELISSA: THAT IS AMAZING.
CALIFORNIA YOU WERE HAVING A BIG
BROUGHT.
ALL THE WATER BEING DIVERTED OUT
TO THE OCEAN.
ONE OF THE CREATURES IT WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE SAVING WAS THE
TINY DELTA SMELT.
IT FELT SO RIDICULOUS FROM AFAR
THIS, WAS WATER NEEDED BY
FARMERS AND ALL -- AND PEOPLE.
IT WAS JUST, BECAME A POLICY SO
>> WELL, AGAIN THAT IS DECIMATED
CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE.
WATER-RICH REGIONS OF THE
COUNTRY.
THOSE ARE TERRIBLE POLICIES.
BUT THE DIRECT PROBLEM THAT WE
HAVE WITH OUR FIRES RIGHT NOW IS
BAD FOREST MANAGEMENT.
NOW, IF YOU HAVE A PINE TREE
WITH A FIVE INCH DIAMETER TRUNK,
THAT USES ABOUT 50 GALLONS OF
WATER EVERY DAY.
WE HAVE FOUR TIMES THE TIMBER
DENSITY THAN THE SIERRA CAN
SUPPORT.
THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED TO SIERRA
NEVADA.
MELISSA: ISN'T THERE A WAY TO
PRESENT TO THE PUBLIC THE IDEA
YOU STALK ABOUT, QUANTIFY IT,
HOW MUCH IS SPENT ON FIRES,
LIVES LOST, DAMAGE DON,
OVERGROWTH, WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN
DONE, WHAT THAT WOULD HAVE COST
IN ISN'T THE CASE MADE TO PEOPLE
AND YOU KNOW A THOUGHTFUL
SOLUTION COME UPON?
>> I THINK EXPERIENCE IS
STARTING TO MAKE THAT CASE FOR
WERE IMPOSED WITH THE 1970s
WITH THE PROMISE THEY WOULD
IMPROVE THE FOREST ENVIRONMENT.
FAIR ENOUGH AFTER 45 YEARS OF
EXPERIENCE WITH THESE LAWS I
THINK WE'RE ENTITLED TO ASK HOW
IS THE FOREST ENVIRONMENT DOING?
THE ANSWER IS ABSOLUTELY
DAMNING.
THESE POLICIES NOT ONLY NOT
PROTECTED FORESTS HAVE DONE
IRREPARABLE HARM FOR FORESTS WE