The City of Oakland is currently planning to clearcut our eucalyptus forests at the behest of a small group of homeowners who are paranoid about naturally occurring wildfires. The risk of wildfires is a native risk of the area. The problem in terms of cost to human life is entirely caused by the presence of homes in a longstanding wildfire zone. Even if you get rid of every eucalyptus tree in the hills, the fuel load and risks inherit in residential housing units will always present the greatest risk of catastrophic fires.

So before cutting down a single tree, let's see a revision of city codes to mandate that ALL dwellings in fire areas be retrofitted with the most modern and effective fireproof materials. Furthermore, because dwellings have more combustible material per sq ft than an undeveloped lot, any lot that has more than 50% coverage (aggregate, meaning the livable sq ft compared to lot size) by a dwelling should be given a year to reduce its lot footprint before the city clearcuts the excess fireload represented by the dwelling, at the sole cost of the homeowner.

And the City should put a moratorium on all new development until such time as the entire cost to the environment of the development, from fire risk to water use to carbon footprint, is subject to city regulation and taxation.

If we're serious about protecting the environment and minimizing risks from wildfires, this is the only solution.