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Control of Eastern red cedar urgedOKLAHOMA CITY (AP)--Conservationists and fire-control experts told state lawmakers Oct. 27 that more resources are needed to control the spread of Eastern red cedar trees, a major source of fuel for wildfires. Rep. Richard Morrissette, D-Oklahoma City, told members of the House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee that Eastern red cedars contributed heavily to wildfires in April in Midwest City and elsewhere that destroyed more than 100 structures. Damage was estimated at $30 million. "We think of it as a rural problem,'' Morrissette said. But the prolific trees, which were found only near riverbeds 100 years ago, have spread across the state and now grow near many residential areas in cities and towns. "It's a disaster waiting to happen,'' said Mike Thralls, director of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission. If nothing is done, Thralls warned that Oklahoma wildfires could rival those in California with increasing loss of life and property. During dry conditions and high winds, red cedars can explode into flames when exposed to fire, sending hot embers from rooftop to rooftop. Thralls said the invasive red cedars now take up about 10 million of Oklahoma's 44 million acres. "It's going to be an ongoing issue,'' he said. Thralls said a 2002 report by a legislative task force concluded that economic losses would reach $447 million by 2013 without an aggressive treatment program involving up to 4 million acres a year to control the spread of red cedar trees. John Weir of the Oklahoma Prescribed Fire Council said controlled burns aimed at eradicating pockets of red cedars are the best way to manage the trees' spread. The federal Natural Resources Conservation Service, which helps land owners and managers conserve soil, water and other natural resources, has spent $5.8 million to help control red cedars on 375,000 acres, and the Conservation Commission has provided $608,000 for red cedar control, Thralls said. But Weir and others said more funding is needed to provide firefighters and private landowners with the tools they need to conduct periodic controlled burns. Thralls recommended that lawmakers appropriate $500,000 to the Oklahoma Controlled Burn Indemnity Fund and eventually increase the appropriation to $1 million a year to encourage more prescribed burns. He also recommended appropriating $2 million a year to implement red cedar control programs in the state's most populated areas. Thralls urged authorities to act on a 2002 task force recommendation to implement Firewise Communities, a national multi-agency program that encourages the reduction of wildfire threats to homes through more fire-resistant landscaping and building materials.
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