RE_ Wildfires and Resulting Impacts to Water Bodies Used as Drinking Water Sources

From: Gerald Fisher

Sent: Thu Oct 01 08:44:24 2020

To: 'Rep Lewis'

Subject: RE: Wildfires and Resulting Impacts to Water Bodies Used as Drinking Water Sources

Importance: Normal

If you get some momentum on that issue, let me know how I can help. I work for a rural community, live on rural property that is has timber on it, and have been working for over 7 years to correct the mismanagement by the prior property owners. Everyone has to do their part. Feds, state, county, local and private property owners. Otherwise disaster will continue. Thanks Rick.

Regards,

Gerald Fisher, P.E. | Public Works Director

City of Molalla

117 N Molalla Ave. | PO Box 248 |Molalla, OR 97038

Office: 503.829.6855 | Direct: 503.759.0218

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From: Rep Lewis <Rep.RickLewis@oregonlegislature.gov>

Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2020 5:45 PM

To: Gerald Fisher <gfisher@cityofmolalla.com>

Subject: RE: Wildfires and Resulting Impacts to Water Bodies Used as Drinking Water Sources

Thanks Gerald.

I was asked by the Governor’s office to co-convene a work group on fires with Metro District Regional Solutions. I declined after they answered my question as to whether or not forest management practices would be on the table for discussion. The Governor’s office said no, not in the scope of work.

If we can’t get to the root of the problem, it’s nothing more than window dressing and potentially rubber-stamping what the Governor wants the outcome to be without benefit of preventing future wild land fire catastrophies.

Besides, my District is not a part of Metro. There needs to be a rural perspective on this issue, but Metro will not see it the way I do.

Rick

From: Gerald Fisher <gfisher@cityofmolalla.com>

Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2020 1:17 PM

To: gotomeeting.6@cadmusgroup.com

Cc: Rep Lewis <Rep.RickLewis@oregonlegislature.gov>

Subject: Wildfires and Resulting Impacts to Water Bodies Used as Drinking Water Sources

I have a recommendation for EPA since this effect drinking water providers and professional organizations associated with them.

EPA should partner with ACWA, ASCE, APWA, US forest service, state forest agencies, and state governor office’s to demand the federal legislative branch move forward with forest management funding and allow for the select harvest of timber and removal of built up fuel loads to help pay for management activities. Old clear cutting practices do not work. Environmental activist approach of leave it alone doesn’t work. It’s time that we, as a country, start clearing fuel from our forests and allow for select removal of trees to prohibit wildfires from destroying our forest and critical habitat. The massive amounts of money spent on private firefighting firms could then be put back into the management system so ongoing additional federal support would no longer be necessary. And contracting it out is not the final answer. Utilizing contractors to work side by side with federal forest teams initially is fine but we need to eliminate the potential for it to become another bloated high bid contract that is not managed. Thank you for considering my comments.

Regards,

Gerald Fisher, P.E. | Public Works Director

City of Molalla

117 N Molalla Ave. | PO Box 248 |Molalla, OR 97038

Office: 503.829.6855 | Direct: 503.759.0218