Fires, Forests, and Climate Change: Choices Ahead
Orange skies. Ash-filled air. Tens of thousands of people evacuated. Hundreds of thousands of wildlife killed. Each year over the past two decades, our fires have become more widespread, affected more people, wildlife and habitats, and cost more. We fear that it will only get worse. But, it does not have to be that way. We can choose a different future, proactively managing the fire threat, even as climate change advances and makes things more challenging and urgent.
To change course, we must learn from science, practice and the traditional approaches to fire management of the Indigenous people who have lived in these lands for millennia.. Fundamentally, we need to restore the more natural forest, grasslands and watershed conditions that are adapted to fire and more naturally resilient. Doing so will not only put our house—our ecology—back in order, it will put many thousands of people back to work, support healthier rural communities and economies, and ensure we have more reliable water, cleaner air and abundant fish and wildlife. That means changing direction from where we are today, moving from a fire suppression culture to a fire management culture.
Pacific Forest Trust (PFT) has been fighting for decades for the
essential policy and funding changes that will enable that transition.
While we have gained funding for more prescribed burn crews, better
technology for assessing prescribed burn conditions, and proactive
watershed and forest restoration, much still needs to be done. Your
support has been, and will be, essential to our success in
building that safer fire future. Our fight has never been more urgent.
Please join us in restoring resilient forests and forest communities.
PS: for those of you interested in learning more about best practices in managing and restoring forests for greater fire resilience, three references might be of interest:
First-entry wildfires can create opening and tree clump patterns characteristic of resilient forests
(Koontz, North et al, 2020)
Local forest structure variability increases resilience to wildfire in dry western U.S. coniferous forests
(Kane, Bartl-Geller et al 2019)
Tamm Review: Reforestation for resilience in dry western U.S. forests
(North, Steves, et al 2019)
top left: U.S. Forest Service photo by Liz Younger, Forest Fire Planner / Flikr
After the Fire, Life Begins Again:
PFT’s story in “State of California” video series
Even as we are in the midst of another major fire season, its critical to have hope, and know that even as fire is always present, so is renewal. When over half of PFT’s lands adjoining Yosemite National Park were burned in the 2018 Ferguson Fire, we determined to restore those forests, making them more resilient and vibrant than before. One of our project sponsors was One Tree Planted. They are featuring our project in their “State of California” video series airing October 6th.
PFT’s Spring 2020 ForestLife article “Rising from the Ashes,” described this property’s journey from our 2004 acquisition, to the impacts of the Ferguson Fire, to 2020, when funding from the California Forest Improvement Program and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, as well as One Tree Planted, enabled us to plant over 125,000 seedlings of multiple species to reforest and restore this remarkable property. We are so grateful to these funders, and to our tireless forester, Bill Snyder, who led this effort!
Pacific Forest Trust’s Yosemite project is featured in One Tree Planted’s Episode 5, set to be released on October 6th. The six-part series addresses many of California’s forest management and fire challenges by engaging with policymakers, academics, firefighters, and the boots- on-the-ground folks like us actively working to restore and conserve our forests. We hope you can watch this program, and share it widely!
Reinventing the Civilian Conservation Corps for the 21st Century
Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley introduced a new vision for the Conservation Corps on August 5, the 21st Century Conservation Corps Act. This timely and important legislation will both promote rural economies so hard-hit by COVID-19 and help restore our vital landscapes. Modeled after the program President Franklin D. Roosevelt created during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, the new Act would create a $9 billion fund to increase training and jobs in restoring and conserving the country’s natural and working lands. Forests, watersheds, grass and rangelands will be key foci. The bill marries COVID-19 relief with environmental stewardship to advance rural investment through funding climate-smart forest and watershed restoration, hazardous fuels reduction efforts, and climate-smart agriculture.
With significant impacts from COVID, rural communities are also at the frontlines of climate change. Many are currently experiencing devastating wildfires that further threaten their livelihoods, whether in forestry, ranching or recreation and tourism. The 21st Century Conservation Corps Act would boost the resilience of both rural communities and the lands on which they—and we– rely for our water, well-being and way of life. We urge you to contact your Senator to support the 21st Century Conservation Corps Act!
photo: courtesy of the USDA