The Wave and The Civil Wars

The Civil Wars released a new album called Between the Bars recently, which featured a album cover that looked oddly familiar to me. It is The Wave, part of the Paria Canyon Vermilion Cliff Wilderness Area in northern Arizona.

What it is about this place that captures the imagination? For once I won't try to guess but leave you, the reader, with images from my visit to the wave and let you decide. Make sure to listen to the tunes and see if you think they match the place on the cover.

All Is Not Well In the Wildland Urban Interface

I have been spending the last few days staring at maps and thinking about communities. While communities are places to raise families, meet friends, work and create connections, in the eyes of those who exist in the world of wildland fire they are most often defined by a single question. Are they at risk?

Wildland fire, fire outside the confines of brick and mortar buildings, can certainly be a hostile environment to outsiders. It is filled with jargon that can be far from inviting for anyone who doesn’t know their FMO, how to find their PPE, or just exactly what an IC does. The important thing to know about wildland fire is that those who spend their careers managing fires when they do occur spend a lot of time thinking about one inconvenient acronym, WUI.

Simply put, wildland urban interface, wui for short, is any area where houses are next to a significant amount of plant life that has the habit of catching on fire. While the wildfires that make the news generally give the impression that it is only a problem in the Western part of the country. A quick look at the 2010 data on communities at risk, CAR for those inclined to brevity, from wildfire shows that it is largely a national problem.

Barred Owls and Wintery Mix

Bad news first: our Barred Owl cousins are getting shot by the dozens. And if a new program goes according to plan, more than 3,500 can be legally killed. It's all an effort to make room for the Spotted Owl, which is losing habitat to the bigger, more aggressive species. Fascinating story. Go read, then we'll discuss. I'll wait.

I really want to know what you think. Is previous human disruption enough justification for hunting wild creatures now? Or should biologists spend resources on other initiatives, such as restoring habitat or breeding programs?

And to cheer ya'll up, here's a playlist! Perfect for the chilling wind and spitting snow we've had in Missouri lately. There's seriously not a track I don't love.

If you aren't reading The Fox is Black, then what are you reading?