Millions of dead trees pose massive wildfire risk. What can be done?

[BlackHatGuy]

Interesting read.

[Ken Thompson]

Current and past forest policies need to change. Lack of diversity and similar age of vast swaths of trees contributed to the current situation. Even the term fire season seems outdated anymore.

[Todd Stough]

Wouldn’t the obvious and affordable option and plan be to allow and organize harvesting of the dead trees?  The forrest service could mark all the trees to be taken and allow people or companies to come get them.

 

I know here in PA the forest and parks are littered with huge blow downs that never get cleared.  I know deadfall is important to the forest system but it seems like it might get excessive at times.

 

On the other hand maybe they should let fires burn, it might put the beetles in check??  Is that natures way of balancing things?

[Jerry Adams]

I read that dead trees are less flammable than live trees.  Needles on live trees have a lot of pitch which is more flammable.  I think this is consistent with the Forest Service quotes in the article, but not the headline.

It’s funny how they say a problem with forests is they suppress fires, so there’s more flammable material, so fires are worse, but they keep fighting fires which makes the problem worse.  They should quit fighting them so much which should cost less.

Except I guess they still need to fight fires that threaten humans which is where the extra costs come in.

They need to spend more doing controlled burns, making fire breaks, hardening areas where humans are,…  They probably take money from programs like this to fight fires which makes things worse in the long run.

[Todd Stough]

“Except I guess they still need to fight fires that threaten humans which is where the extra costs come in.”

 

Maybe the people who move into these areas should be more responsible to doing the work?  If you live in fire country do what you can to make your property safer.  It might mean clearing some trees and forest you paid all that money for.

Guy on youtube Wranglerstar lives in Washington and they do this around their property.  Cut tree branches 15′ up and clear brush and under growth to reduce risk of fire.

[Jerry Adams]

yeah

Forest Service and other agencies will work with homeowners on how to harden your property

Maybe some areas aren’t really suitable for human habitation, like isolated houses in the forest.  Although I can’t imagine that if a fire threatens fire fighters wouldn’t still do what they could

They are planning to replace the roof at Tilly Jane Guard station.  It’s on the list of historic places so they have to replace it with cedar shingles.  That seems crazy.  A few years ago it was threatened by a large fire and they barely saved it.

 

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