2004 UC Proceedings Abstract
Targeting Fire Management Priorities for Community Protection and Ecosystem Restoration Track: Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management Author(s): Bo Wilmer, Gregory Aplet In recent summers, large forest fires have burned millions of acres and hundreds of homes across western states where drought conditions prevail. Alarmed elected officials agree that fuel loads in forests must be reduced to protect communities and restore ecosystems, but they disagree over where and how much. In part, disagreement stems from available information that exaggerates the amount of forested land at risk from high-intensity wildland fire. Conventional wisdom holds that the greater the perceived risk, the more treatment (logging and thinning) should take place. However, the information used to make these determinations in some proposed wildland fire policies is erroneous. In this presentation, we evaluate the quality of information that feeds wildland fire policy, assess the fire management challenge with a focus on community protection, and outline a comprehensive strategy to prioritize where fuel reduction and ecosystem restoration measures are needed. Bo Wilmer The Wilderness Society Center for Landscape Analysis 1424 4th Avenue, Suite 816 Seattle , WA 98101 US Phone: 206-624-6430 E-mail: bo_wilmer@tws.org Gregory Aplet The Wilderness Society Ecology and Economics Research Department 1660 Wynkoop Street, Suite 850 Denver , CO 80202 US Phone: (303) 650-5818 E-mail: greg_aplet@tws.org |
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