This morning, President Trump created a massive stir on social media when he Tweeted a threat to shut off California’s federal assistance if they don’t “remedy” their forestry management. In typical Trump form, he failed to eloquently put forth a reasonable perspective regarding a growing concern. And in typical social media form, massive reactionary explosions are firing on all cylinders. With massive, historical wildfires ravaging the state, the fallout was immediate (I’ll spare you the obvious).

Before I offer up reasonable perspective, here’s Trump’s Tweet.

There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 10, 2018

One thing I believe that most of us can agree on, nothing good happens with Trump’s Twitter account during late night hours.

Worse more, Trump has “set fire” to an issue that actually deserves attention.

California is poorly mismanaging its forests. And that’s been the case for years. The mismanagement, fueled by climate change agendas, is likely well-intended; but the results have been anything but.

For the record, Trump’s Tweet is not the solution. Trump’s supporters will tell you that his Tweet is his way to begin negotiations with extreme leverage. But the western seaboard of California hates Trump. They aren’t going to budge in any event.

But the issue needs to be discussed.

California Environmentalist Crusades Have Created A Tinderbox

California and New Jersey are America’s most liberal states. California’s forestry management philosophy is a shell of what it used to be 30 and 40 years ago.

Rep. Tom McClintock, who represents California’s 4th congressional district as a Republican, says that modern state management of forests is resulting in wildly overgrown regions.

“But 40 years ago, we replaced these sound management practices with what can only be described as a doctrine of benign neglect,” McClintock said. “Ponderous, Byzantine laws and regulations administered by a growing cadre of ideological zealots in our land management agencies promised to “save the environment.” He told FlashReport.

Private management groups do continue to manage some state forests in the “old way,” but those are now few and far between.

The “old way” paid for itself. The forest service would simply surplus timber off and use that money to fund the management. This meant no burden for taxpayers.

“Revenues that our forest management agencies once produced – and that facilitated our forest stewardship – have all but dried up,” McClintock said.

Obama’s Forest Regulations – When Things Went Wrong

If you watch the news, most mainstream outlets will blame climate change for California’s uptick in wildfires.

President Trump is Tweeting in reaction to such media hoopla (most likely).

The facts, however, run contrary to the media’s climate change obsession. In 2012. Obama severely changed our nation’s forest rules and guidelines. There are now layers and obstacles and endless paperwork attached to any potential action involving a forest. You can’t just thin a forest or set a backfire anymore, not without big government consent.

Forest management services in California are now massive. As I pointed out earlier, they used to pay for themselves.

Forest managers have explained and re-explained a number of threats that result from egregious government involvement, including wildfires. But bureaucrats with climate change agendas are a popular breed in liberal California. Forest managers simply aren’t respected like they used to be.

California’s Private Forests Are Thriving

With wildfires raging in California, Trump’s Tweet have set off new social media firestorms.

Government overreach and bureaucrats do not manage California’s private forests. These private forests seem to experience fewer wildfires.

This isn’t a study. It isn’t proof of any conclusion. But the obvious issue of environmentalists/government overreach in California is beginning to surface. Trump’s Tweet is more likely to enrage the same herd that’s always enraged. It isn’t likely to raise any awareness for an issue that’s needed awareness raised for decades.

That’s a shame, of course.

In fairness, people who experience floods often move back to the same flood zones. People rebuild homes on active volcanoes. People live in coastal regions that experience massive storm surges from hurricanes because they “like the view.” We continue to Federally assist those people.

If you expected the furious, polarizing rhetoric the chill out some following the midterms, you’re sorely disappointed this week. Some folks probably expected the divisive, polarizing rhetoric between Trump and liberals to chill out a bit following midterm election results.  It’s fairly obvious that isn’t going to be the case.

But hopefully some realization that stringent climate change policies are resulting in catastrophic events set in.

Trump Took A Bad Path – But That’s Trump

There are few people I know that don’t wish Trump would avoid Twitter at times. This is one of those times. No different than going to war with useless Jim Acosta, or threatening House Democrats over a meaningless issue (Dems attempting to impeach Trump commit political suicide and have no chance at succeeding), Trump would be better served to remain silent.

California is going to do what’s it’s going to do, a Trump Tweet changes nothing. It just creates more media chaos. We have enough of that today, something I think we can all agree on.

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