THE WILDLIFE CASUALTIES OF ISRAEL

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Nature falls victim to Hezbollah rocket attacks

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14153579/

 

Experts predict damage sets back forests, wildlife by 50 years

 

 

 

Updated: 11:37 a.m. PT Aug 2, 2006

 

MOUNT NAFTALI FOREST, Israel - Huge swaths of forests and fields across

northern Israel have been scorched by thousands of Hezbollah rocket strikes

over the past three weeks, and experts said it would take nature at least 50

years to recover.

 

Charred branches stuck out of the ground like grave markers at the Mount

Naftali Forest overlooking Kiryat Shemona, where entire fields have been

reduced to heaps of ash and countless animals killed. But with 19 Israeli

civilians killed by the rockets, the plight of the forest has been

overlooked.

 

" Usually when people get hurt so does nature, and the other way around, "

said Yossi Sarid, a former environment minister. " People do take precedence

over nature and wildlife, but the damage is simply awful. "

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In all, the rocket fire has destroyed 16,500 acres of forests and grazing

fields, according to Michael Weinberger, the forest supervisor for the

Jewish National Fund, the top administrator of Israel's forests. About 1

million trees were destroyed.

 

The Mount Naftali Forest was hit by a series of Katyusha rockets earlier

this week, setting it ablaze. Afternoon gusts carried the flames, wiping out

some 750 acres and trapping gazelles, coyotes, jackals, rabbits and snakes.

The stench of smoke lingered a day later. What was once green is now black

and gray. More rockets pounded the forest Wednesday.

 

*Choice between nature, firefighters*

Firefighters have been stretched to the limit battling the blazes caused by

rockets in urban areas and are reluctant to enter the dangerous, dry and

potentially deadly terrain of the forest fires.

 

" With all due respect to nature, I will not risk the lives of my men for

it, " said Danny Hananiya, the fire department chief in the Northern Galilee,

whose men have battled some 1,200 fires. " It is painful to see, but I have

to decide between nature and the firefighters. "

 

Instead, the task of protecting nature falls on the shoulders of forest

rangers, many of whom have risked their lives in recent weeks trying to

limit the ecological damage.

 

" Every green tree standing here is a result of our work, " said Ido Rasis,

55. " I am here because we need to save every tree we can. "

 

The rangers are dispatched in teams of four to various locations in the

woods, where they wait for the rockets and pounce on fires before they

spread out of control. Wearing a wide-brim hat, Rasis awaits the next volley

as he watches a fire rage in the distance.

 

*'This is just the beginning'*

Unlike buildings, bridges and other infrastructure that can quickly be

rebuilt, forests will need 50 to 60 years to return to what they were before

fighting started, said Omri Bonneh, the director of the Jewish National

Fund's northern region.

 

And unlike other services mobilized in this war, such as the army, police

and paramedics, the rangers know their real work still lies ahead.

 

" Our main job will be after the war ends, to rehabilitate the entire

system, " said Amikam Riglin, chief of law enforcement at the Jewish National

Fund. " This is just the beginning. "