The Book of a Revelation

Every once in a while, you make one of those revelatory "light bulb moments," when the bulb goes on over your head and something comes to you that you're surprised hasn't occurred to you before.  It was big realization about the wrong-headed slams by the MAGOP at how Democrats supposedly mishandle fire management, which they then use to justify the unjustifiable -- their reprehensible claim that they may not provide emergency aid to California during a catastrophic disaster without any "strings".  Or perhaps not give any aid at all.

Putting it aside for the moment that Democrats do not "mishandle" fire management, and no MAGOP has really explained how they do (other than Trump suggesting that they use brooms to sweep up debris…) -- and putting aside, too, that it's ludicrous for the far right to complain that fire management budgets should be higher, since the relentless goal of the MAGOP is to cut budgets as much as they can, not raise them for fire management or pretty much anything, other than the military -- even if someone on the extreme right does choose to instead blindly (and wrongly) believe and insist (wrongly) that Democrats in California really do screw up fire management, and that’s why the state shouldn’t get emergency aid --

-- there's the very-simple, basic, near-impossible to not understand reality that anyone should be able to grasp: 

The forest that surrounds Altadena where one of the major wildfires has been burning out of control is…Angeles National Forest.  Which, of course, is..."national"! It’s controlled by the federal government, and so California has absolutely zero to do with managing it.  As for the other major fire in Pacific Palisades, that is surrounded by two separate forests.  One of them is Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area…which again, is…(yes, you've figured it out by now) national.  The other forest is state – Topanga State Park -- but (okay, are you ready?)…it’s actually part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area!!!

Which, y'know, is again -- national.

Don't believe it?  Well, okay, here's a screenshot from the National Park Service website, with information about its properties.  You can't miss it -- there's "National Park Service" at the top, and "Topanga State Park" at the bottom.  And you can read about it here.

​In fact, there's even a page on the National Park Service website devoted to Fire Management in the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area.  Rather then type it in second-hand, I figure it's best to see it direct --

(Moreover, back in 2012, Congressman Brad Sherman, who represents the district that the SMMNRA is in, got federal funds that helped restore sections of the park's popular Backbone Trail.  So, yes to reiterate -- those were federal funds, not state.)​

In other words, almost all the current wildfire damage in Los Angeles forests has been on federal land.  Some parts are overseen by state management, but all is controlled by the federal government.  Yes, of course, there have been wildfires in state forests and state parks in California over the years.  But these major wildfires -- right now, in the news today -- here in Los Angeles, these forests are federal.

In fact, to step back and look at the even larger picture:  Over half of California forest land (58%) is controlled by the federal government.  And even more surprisingly -- almost shockingly so -- the state only owns 3%!  The rest is owned by municipalities and private interests (which includes industrial-commercial, of course, as well as families, farms and even  churches).  This is not to say that the state of California has no part in managing the wilderness, it does. Just that's it's not a pure state/liberal issue at all, like Trump and MAGOPs want to make it.

I will anticipate your question:  “So, why is no one else mentioning this??!”  The answer is – I don’t have the slightest idea.  Is it possible that the state of California is involved with some of the forest management with the active fires?  Absolutely possible, if not likely, though only on state grounds.  But not on national forest land -- and it's the national forest and national recreation area that overwhelmingly have predominated in these two most-major and devastating wildfires.  Perhaps there is some coordination that overlaps -- I don't know.  But I do know that the only forestland around Pasadena is Angeles National Forest.  And that all the forestland around Pacific Palisades is under the oversight of the National Park Service with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

So, why has this seemingly gone unmentioned, as far as I can tell?  At times, this is one of my burdens in life…  Who knows?  Having worked years ago for Will Rogers State Historic Park helps grasp the fact, but that’s no explanation why it's been largely overlooked.  But overlooked or not -- it's reality.

The only guess I can make is that most officials and reporters are focusing on the immediate hell of the forests and homes burning, and they hear “Topanga” and "Pasadena and Altadena" and it’s all in Los Angeles, so that just viscerally says local -- and their other focus is the repugnant, but serious threats of MAGOPS in the White House and Congress to withhold aid, so they’re dealing with resolving that.  And while dealing with these critical issues, they can't see (no pun intended, but oh, does it fit) the forest for the trees.

But it's still the reality.

It might be an inconvenient reality for those on the right tied to trying to screw people in the midst of a catastrophic disaster who (whatever their party affiliation) live in a state that votes Democratic.  But it's reality nonetheless.