By Jan Haagensen, Esq. My family and I were subjected to years of harassment and criminal assault by local hunters. Persistent trespassers tried to muscle their way onto our property, and hunt without permission. We…
By David Cantor Human beings do not have total control over all other species despite our species’ huge impacts. The dramatically increased presence of white-tailed deer throughout the East Coast and elsewhere in the last…
1. This is based on the very unlikely premise that there would be no additional development or road building in these areas, which might hinder the population of pine barrens with new species of trees,…
There is so much human destructiveness in today’s world that attempting to make the world a better place seems at times futile. But, while we might not be able to do very much, we can…
Fire management has become increasingly reckless and irresponsible in recent years. (8) This is especially true in many federal and state forests and parklands, which are theoretically held in trust for all Americans. In some…
The second important reason for the advocacy and practice of fire management goes to the heart of our cultural value system. Many Eastern religions (most notably Buddhism and Jainism) advocate the sanctity of life. They…
Since fire management is biologically and ecologically destructive then why has it become increasingly advocated and practiced? There are two important reasons for this. The first is quite simple. Fire is a comparatively cheap and…
Fire proponents claim that controlled burning recycles nutrients. But there is evidence that even ground fires may destroy micro-organisms in the upper layer of soil that are essential for healthy plant growth. These may include…
Local fire proponents claim that fire has played a major role in shaping the ecology of the forests of the Shawangunk Ridge. That much is true, although during the past 60 years fires there have…
A good friend of mine observed that some of the worst crimes are not legally considered crimes. One tragic example is the deliberate use of fire on natural lands. Fire management at Mohonk Preserve, in…
