The "Green Glacier"

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Gyp Hills, Barber County, Kansas
Readers know that the Kansas Flint Hills and the Gypsum Hills are my favorite parts of our state.
Gyp Hills, US 160, Barber County, Kansas
You'll note in both photos there are ugly red cedar trees that weren't there 50 years ago. They are part of the cedar "green glacier" described in Oliver Morrison's superb article in today's Wichita Eagle. In addition to being ugly, they literally explode during wildfires. Those explosions (see below) endanger firefighters and help the fire spread.
Red Cedar exploding during recent Anderson Creek Fire. Photo: CJOnline
Morrison's article discusses what can be done to slow or stop the spread of these pests. I highly recommend it.

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