California: Chad Hansen sets record straight on fire fraud for more loggers destruction

Reading Tom Knudson’s article about Sierra Nevada fires made me
realize how badly some still misunderstand the ecology of fire in
forests. The article assumed that today’s fires are destructive to
forests and wildlife. The article doesn’t report, however, that before
early 20th century fire suppression, fires burned far more acreage
each year in California’s forests than they do now. Even high-severity
fire has been reduced relative to its historic extent.

Further, while
the article cites a flawed study to claim that fires are becoming more
severe, this assertion is contradicted by a comprehensive analysis
done jointly by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Forest
Service’s research branch. Moreover, the article doesn’t mention that
current fires are predominantly of low and moderate severity, and
incorrectly assumes that high-severity patches (where most or all of
the trees are killed) are damaging to native wildlife and forest
regeneration. Natural conifer regeneration is vigorous and abundant
after high-severity fire. In addition, high-severity fire areas
support the highest biodiversity levels of wildlife species and higher
plants compared with other forest habitat types in the western United
States. As one of the nation’s top ecologists recently concluded, the
“dramatic positive response of so many plant and animal species to
severe fire and the absence of such responses to low-severity fire in
conifer forests throughout the U.S. West argue strongly against the
idea that severe fire is unnatural.” High-severity fire creates
important habitat features that are typically absent or in short
supply in most forests – habitat elements such as large snags
(fire-killed trees) in which woodpeckers create nest cavities, large
downed logs in which small mammals live, and patches of native brush
and conifer regeneration used as nesting and foraging habitat by many
birds and mammals. This post-fire habitat type is called “snag forest
habitat,” and it is an ecological treasure. Sadly, countless native
species that depend upon this habitat, like the black-backed
woodpecker, are imperiled due to fire suppression and post-fire
“salvage” logging. We can effectively protect homes from fire by
creating defensible space within 100 feet of structures and using
fire-resistant building materials. That’s where we should focus our
attention and resources.
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/story/1473829.html

Posted via email from Deane’s posterous