New California law guarantees that the Right holder has a legal right to burn Weather News

San Francisco California – Largely forested and abundant destructive fire is a legacy of more than a hundred years of firefighting in California. In ancient times, government regulations made it a crime to damage a fire if it had already been set ablaze.

But California’s new law removes the threat to private citizens and locals controlled burning, which is a small fire that has been proven to prevent dangerous burning. The law reflects the change of mindset in the United States, which in the days of unstable people, Indians light small fires to maintain order.

However, U.S. government regulations considered all fires to be extremely hazardous and made them an important factor in extinguishing them, which led to further deforestation, and higher fuel levels. Today, climate change is clearing forests and helping them long seasons of wildfires.

The Yosemite National Park in California is now emitting high levels of greenhouse gases due to wildfires and poor forest management, according to a recent report. UN Report.

In recent years, countries have recognized the benefits of burning, but the practice needs to be intensified in order for forests to recover. California’s new law, which comes into effect on January 1, will pave the way for private citizens and citizens alike to use the so-called “good fire”.

Cultures are on fire

In a 1918 letter, the Klamath National Forest Superintendent wrote to his supervisor that the most important task of the US Forest Service was to reduce fires, but “rebel whites and Indians” set fire “for pure contempt”, carelessly. whether the fire injured others.

He further added that his response was “kill them, every time you catch someone sneaking into a brush like a wolf, shoot him”. He also proposed to hire a female missionary who “began to rely” on the community to encourage them to follow the teachings of the firefighters.

Margo Robbins, a member of the Yurok tribe in northern California and head of the Cultural Fire Management Council, shared the letter with Al Jazeera to show how the forest system has changed dramatically over the past century. Their area is at risk of fire because of the high level of oil in their area, but the problem has been a barrier to registered burning, because “there is no 100 percent guarantee that [the fire] you live where you want, “Robbins said.

Claims filed in California require permission from landowners, and while the new law removes liability for burners if the initial criteria are met, anyone whose behavior is negligent will still be prosecuted. The law applies to “traditional fire” and “traditional firefighters”, guaranteeing Indians’ right to use fire.

“[The law] recognizes the importance of knowledge of this culture and the experiences of the indigenous people in the fire, so they say that we are in agreement with California lawmakers, “said Robbins. in prison. “

General help

This winter, Lenya Quinn-Davidson, a firefighter at the University of California Cooperative Extension and head of the Northern California Prescribed Fire Council, said she plans to light a “good fire” near the city of Eureka, taking the same steps she has always had. to follow.

“[The law] it does not change the way we work; it just makes us feel comfortable, “he told Al Jazeera.

Quinn-Davidson is part of a coalition of fire promoters who pushed for a new California law. A group of various political parties agreed with the law, including livestock farmers, cultural groups and scientists, he said.

Robbins said the legislators not only asked for a “sign” from his team, but “returned to the board” after hearing the native’s guidance.

California has also approved $ 20m to provide airline tickets to pay off interest rates if a registered burn is not possible. The result is that California and other countries have increased the number of people trained to burn, Quinn-Davidson said, noting that “the workforce we have now is just a small part of what we want”.

‘Critical Turning point’

California is not the first country to change its fire regulations; in 1990, Florida was the first to introduce a “gross negligence” measure, much more sophisticated than most people use for “negligence”. Several other countries, including Nevada, Georgia and Michigan, followed suit.

Oregon is also reviewing its fire regulations, as secretive citizens who want to lit a fire are competing against the same threats. “Many corporations and private owners are finding it impossible to obtain fire insurance,” Amelia Porterfield, senior consultant at Nature Conservancy in Oregon, told Al Jazeera.

This year, the government passed two laws, one instructing government agencies to complete an investigation by July 2022 on insurance issues and barriers that could prevent the proposed burns from escalating, and another assisting in training more burns.

Robbins hopes that one day, all over the US, Indians will claim the right to use fire, without the need for anyone else’s license. His vision is “that we can burn in the right place, at the right time, for the right reasons”.

He said: “As members of our nation, we know what is best for our country. “We can make our own legal and legal decisions to use firefighting as a groundbreaking tool and in practice.”

Robbins added that all owners need to light their “good fire”, as they get a chance to learn: “We are in great danger, and we are turning to the right path.”