Fyi the reason why some government agency has drug giant chains across the landscape is for fire breaks ! Most of the landscape around the city i live in is the same as thacker pass . Last two years there has been several wild fires break out and and because of the wind my city received a fine layer of ash fall out those fires where 50 miles away ! Better to destroy a 100 ft swath of sage brush then to have a small town burn down . Along a 30 mile stretch of I 90 ( our main  cross state freeway ) they bulldoze a 30 foot stretch for a fire break

My heart goes out to many families that lost there homes in the inland nw last year due to wild fires