Posted by Jim Barnes (76.103.28.250) on January 10, 2010 at 10:46:20:
CALFIRE is being sued by a green; non-government organization called “Friends of the Forest”.
During fire suppression efforts on the Santa Barbara Fire last year some retardant got into the creeks where endangered steelhead spawn. The fire itself was more than capable of sterilizing large areas of the drainage for a long period of time. But for a “non profit”, non- government organization (NGO) it is an opportunity to sue the government, funded by government grants to get more money, power and control of land.
This is the wave of the future. The same type of NGO accomplished the shutting off of water to the farmers this year to protect the smelt. People who have never been elected to any office are exerting tremendous influence on our government through civil suits.
The non-profit NGO itself is immune to lawsuits, funded by contributions and grants, pays no taxes, makes its employees handsome salaries and is virtually unregulated.
We can expect to see many more lawsuits that encumber firefighting efforts throughout the United States.
Jim Barnes