News and Sentinel. April 18, 2023.
Editorial: Burning Laws: Follow the rules and save a life
It is easy to read warnings about burning restrictions during spring fire season and ignore them, or behave as though they do not apply. But until May 31, West Virginians are prohibited from burning outside the hours from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. Fires set during that time must be put out before 7 a.m.
From Jan. 1 to March 1, West Virginia Division of Forestry firefighters faced 162 fires that burned more than 1,144 acres. The workload has only increased. In fact, these men and women have been facing the impossible. Last week, one of them paid the ultimate price in the line of duty.
Cody Mullens, 28, of Mt. Hope, was fighting a brushfire in Fayette County when a tree fell and killed him.
“Cathy and I are heartbroken by the tragic news of losing one of our own,” said Gov. Jim Justice. “Our state foresters are some of the most dedicated workers in our state, putting their lives on the line to protect our communities from wildfires, and we owe them all, especially Cody, an enormous debt of gratitude.”
We owe them our gratitude, certainly. But also the peace of mind of knowing Mountain State residents care enough about them and the land to follow simple rules.
All fires must have a ring or safety strip cleared of burnable material and at least 10 feet wide. Any fire must be attended until completely extinguished. Only vegetative materials (leaves, brush, yard clippings, etc.) are permitted to be burned. Spark-throwing machinery operating on land subject to fire must contain an adequate spark arrestor. And inflammable waste disposal areas must annually remove all grass, brush, debris and other inflammable material adjacent to disposal areas to prevent the escape of fire to adjacent land.
“Our fire laws protect one of West Virginia’s most valuable resources: our forests,” Jones said. “We urge everyone who burns anything outside to be completely familiar with the guidelines available on our website.” (wvforestry.com/fire-laws/)
Jones is right, but we would add the laws protect not only our forests, but our forester/firefighters. They are facing a season with challenges most of us cannot fathom. They do it because they love the state and its land — and, frankly, because they are willing to do what most would not to protect those things.
For Cody Mullens, that dedication cost him his life. Remember that — and maybe keep the rest of them a little safer — by following the law.
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The Intelligencer. April 15, 2023.
Editorial: Challenges at WVU
West Virginia University is facing several serious challenges: A declining college-aged population; declining enrollment; rising costs; and a national narrative that questions the value of college.
Those factors and others have led to a $35 million deficit, about 3% of WVU’s overall budget. University’s leaders are wisely acting now to shape the institution’s future.
“I share (the news) not to alarm but to alert. We need to better understand the reality we face,” WVU President E. Gordon Gee said during his annual State of the University address. “The state of West Virginia University is strong … and we will be even stronger in the decades to come, thanks to a concerted focus on what matters most.”
That means transforming the university — something Gee is uniquely qualified to oversee. Along with short-term solutions such as limiting travel and putting a hiring freeze in place, the university will “invest in our strengths — both in programs and in talent. Every unit will examine their priorities to ensure we are investing wisely. Armed with that data, we also will need to make the difficult decision to stop investing in those things that no longer meet our expectations.”
That’s a prudent step. It’s not feasible to ask the Legislature for more funding, and asking students to pay more likely will lead to enrollment declines. Strengthening what WVU does best — “creating ideas that create jobs,” as Gee puts it — is the right move.
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