I believe Mr. Clark is echoing the position of our Republican candidate for Commissioner of Public Lands: Steve McLaughlin.  McLaughlin favors active management of public forest lands to prevent or minimize the types of destructive wildfires we have had in the recent past.  Wildfires made much worse, not through the new arid climate (I thought central Washington to always be pretty dry), but rather overgrowth from the "leave it wild" mantra of the extreme environmentalists.  One of whom is Steve's opponent.  From McLaughlin's literature: "Engaging in modern, science based, forest practices will improve productivity while protecting our environment."