6/7/2009 10:24:00 PM Editorial: Wildfire now is forest's friend
The Daily Courier
We expect that you have heard the state-of-the-forest report before: since man began fighting fires the number of trees per forest-acre have increased to many times more dense than when fires naturally kept the forests at bay.
That is because of man's fear of what fire can do; however, that fear has lead to an imbalance in the ecosystem and brought about the need for prescribed burns, which help remove dead vegetation, invigorate plant and animal communities, promote a healthy watershed and return fire to its natural role in the ecosystem. These burns also reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
Understanding that the ponderosa pine forests of the Southwest depend heavily on fire to exist, burning on average every 5 to 7 years in pre-settlement times, for the past five days a historic situation has been under way northwest of Prescott. The Hyde Fire, which probably ignited from lightning, is burning about 20 miles northwest of Prescott near Hyde Mountain and Camp Wood.
It is "historic" because likely for the first time, Prescott National Forest officials are letting a wildfire burn outside of a wilderness area. It is burning in an area where the Forest Service previously has conducted prescribed burns and forest officials are monitoring its progress. As of Friday the affected area encompassed 235 acres.
We believe the relatively new federal regulations - allowing all national forests to manage versus suppress lightning-caused wildfires, if they meet the Forest Service's objectives - are on the right track.
Evidence of this and the positive results of the prescribed burns are the clean forest floors, especially near Camp Wood and Groom Creek. Not only are these forests clean, they also are healthy and open - with approximately the number of trees per acre that settlers of Prescott likely experienced in the late 1800s.
Stay on task, folks, keeping watch over the fires as well as our forests' health.
Posted: Monday, June 08, 2009
Article comment by:
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Humans fighting wildfires along with the massive re-forestation efforts over the past century have produced much more forested area in the U.S. than in the past. Next time some slap-happy liberal tries to tell you we're killing all the trees, just move along without acknowledging their existence.
Posted: Monday, June 08, 2009
Article comment by:
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Good article. California knows about fires: I read somewhere there are around 30-60 of them burning almost all the time somewhere. When it hits Santa Barbara it's bad new. Most of the rest of them are fine. Lightning strides, wood burns, rain puts it out. Pretty simple. Works good. (oh yeah, and BUY INSURANCE--forgot that lol)
