Posts by Jennifer Mamola
Finding hope in the ashes after two devastating California wildfires
Los Angeles Times
By Doug Smith
The McNally fire wiped out whole forests in 2002. What does it tell us today about the future of vast areas devastated by recent fires?
Read MoreA return to a past Sierra wildfire to see the future of a recent one
Los Angeles Times
By Doug Smith
“A standing dead tree is vastly more important to wildlife and biodiversity in the forest than a standing live tree of the same size,” he said. “A tree in the forest ecosystem may have two or three hundred years of incredibly important vital life after it dies.”
Read MoreCongressional ‘Fix Our Forests Act’ would worsen wildfire threat in California
December 26, 2025
By Chad Hanson
East Bay Times
Heedless of the facts and impervious to evidence, however, the full Senate may vote on a similar version of the Fix Our Forests Act (S. 1462) early next year. Logging industry contributors to congressional reelection campaigns would benefit; everyone else would lose. In fact, if the Senate passes the Fix Our Forests Act, it would increase the threat of wildfires to communities, putting homes and lives in greater danger.
Read MoreA Solstice Salute: Gratitude, Nature, and a Reminder to Keep Speaking Up
As the year winds down, it’s worth taking a moment to celebrate the wild, wonderful forces of nature that shape our landscapes—from fire to flood to beetle outbreaks. These natural disturbances, often demonized in mainstream narratives, are actually the rhythms that sustain resilient forests and ecosystems. We’re also grateful for a little legislative good fortune:…
Read More“Protection”? More Like Performance: Big Greens and Roadless Logging Loopholes
What we see here is a completely missed opportunity. The voters polled want Roadless Area protection; they want to protect wildlife. They are afraid of wildfire and want forests to be protected from wildfire, and they disfavor logging. Once you look at the facts and lean into correcting the misunderstandings, the path for a truly protective Roadless Rule is available.
Read MoreFOFA Is the Wrong Approach — Here’s a Real Solution for Wildfire Protection
FOFA doesn’t protect homes. It prioritizes backcountry logging while removing public oversight and environmental review, giving federal agencies unchecked authority — all without ensuring communities are actually safer.
Read MoreThe Rights of Nature, Remembered on the Road
Observations from the road, the forest, and the resilience of life. I’ve been struggling lately, with work and with words. Writing takes me hours, even full weekends, as I try to articulate the strife I feel and propose solutions rather than just complain. Yet I always end up tangenting — after all, it’s all connected.…
Read MoreDefending Our Natural Sanctuaries
Preserving the Sanctuaries That Ground and Uplift Us All When I first arrived in Washington D.C., over a decade ago, I noticed how the first question after “What’s your name?” is often “Where do you work?” It reminded me of my time in Uganda, where the question was always “What’s your name?” and “Where do…
Read MoreFrom Dialogue to Soundbite: A Disappointing First Interview Experience
Edited Out of Context: A Millennial in the Media Machine I recently participated in my first on-camera interview, for a segment on Stossel TV that had been pitched to me as a conversation about whether public lands should be sold for housing. In the interview, I explained that this is a manufactured crisis, and if…
Read MoreWildfire Fear and the Business of Logging
Tomorrow, the House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing titled The State of Our Nation’s Federal Forests. The title alone sets the tone: as if our forests are in crisis, waiting for Congress and industry to swoop in with chainsaws and prescriptions. This isn’t the fault of a single administration or party. For decades, political…
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