We residents of Genesee, and friends and neighbors of the Heart K, know that forest recovery involves decreasing the dangers to both humans and wildlife as we anticipate and learn to live with fire.  

As we create and maintain defensible spaces around our towns and houses, so too must we defend and maintain escape routes for wildlife.  That means that the new Heart K fencing, completed with post-fire insurance payments, should be adapted to favor habitat recovery and wildlife survival. It should not obstruct wildlife’s chance to run from and escape danger, be it from natural predators, poachers, motorized vehicles or fire. The photograph below shows why volunteers across the West are removing hundreds of miles of barbed-wire fencing.

Unfortunately, on the Heart K, the newly constructed, tight five-wire fencing with its three barbed strands in the middle section, was not designed for wildlife in post-fire recovery planning.

Common best management practices for “wildlife friendly” fencing specify three smooth wires as "ideal" and more than four "unnecessary". Therefore, at least one of the three strands of barbed-wire should be removed, rolled and stored in the Heart K barn, a task that can be accomplished with neighborly and local volunteer labor.

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