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<p>Hi neighbors -</p>
<p>The Northwest webinar video is now available at:</p>
<p><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://bcpoa.net/2020/10/post-fire-forestry-webinar-with-northwest-management-oct-7/"
moz-do-not-send="true">http://bcpoa.net/2020/10/post-fire-forestry-webinar-with-northwest-management-oct-7/</a></p>
<p>We've included the slides and some other materials provided by
Northwest.</p>
<p>Tom<br>
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<h1><span>Rethinking our relationship and future
with fire </span></h1>
<div><a
href="https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/opinions/guest_columnists/rethinking-our-relationship-and-future-with-fire/article_246ce90b-14e8-59ac-997b-335a03e3d2b0.html"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/opinions/guest_columnists/rethinking-our-relationship-and-future-with-fire/article_246ce90b-14e8-59ac-997b-335a03e3d2b0.html</a></div>
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<p>During this fire season, millions of acres of
land have burned throughout the western U.S.,
with over 4 million acres burned in California
alone, and the fire season is not over. Fires
have destroyed thousands of homes, dozens of
lives have been lost, and persistent smoke from
these fires has created hazardous air quality
across the West. The long-term impacts of smoke
inhalation are yet to be realized. Near Bozeman,
we recently experienced the fast-moving Bridger
Foothills Fire, which consumed 30 homes in a
matter of hours.</p>
<p>The factors driving the extreme nature of these
fires are three-fold: persistent climate
patterns in the western U.S. are creating
sustained periods of hot, dry weather that is
conducive to fire; warm conditions are drying
out fuels, creating explosive conditions when
ignition occurs; and a growing number of homes
and other structures in flammable forests and
shrublands is increasing the danger of fires for
human health and safety.</p>
<p>The conflagrations this summer are not
unexpected; fire and climate scientists have
been predicting their likelihood for a number of
years. Yet, the intensity, size and speed of
recent fires and the weather conditions that
they have created have surprised even the
scientific community – in California, for
example, the Creek Fire spawned tornado-like
conditions.</p>
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<p>Why are recent fire seasons so severe? The
answer begins with recognizing that fire is
a natural and inevitable component of
ecosystems in the western U.S. Historical
records show us that fires have shaped
ecosystems for thousands of years and that
natural patterns of fire size and severity
vary across different forest types. These
records also show clear linkages between
changes in climate, vegetation and fires
over time. It is only in the 20th century
that we have tried to control fires at large
scales and break these linkages, and in many
places, we have been remarkably successful.
We now realize that decades of fire
suppression have had critical unintended
consequences – an accumulation of woody
fuels, especially in dry forests and
shrublands.</p>
<p>How can we prevent the worst outcomes for
humans? The answer lies in addressing all of
the causes: slow a warming climate, address
the accumulation of fuels in dry forests and
shrublands, and rethink where and how we
live.</p>
<p>First, fire is a natural ecosystem process
but current climate change is increasing the
size, severity and intensity of wildfires.
This is evidenced by the increase in area
burned in the West since the 1980s. The
Montana Climate Assessment suggests that
this trend will continue in our state well
into the future. Over half of the area
burned by wildfires in the West is
attributed to the added influence of rising
temperatures. This crisis will only be
solved by reducing the emission of
anthropogenic greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere from fossil fuels.</p>
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<p>Second, dry forests and shrublands, which
historically burned every few years to
decades, have been the most altered by human
development and land use. The application of
prescribed fires is the most ecologically
appropriate tool that we have to restore
low-intensity surface burns to these
vegetation types and to reduce the high
smoke levels that occur from large
wildfires. We can learn from indigenous
cultures who have long burned dry forests
and grasslands at regular intervals to
safeguard their communities and promote
desired resources.</p>
<p>For prescribed burning to work, it must be
undertaken regularly and at safe times of
year – as is done annually in pine
plantations in the southeastern U.S. Tribes
and agencies are working to apply prescribed
fires across western landscapes, yet the
challenge of reducing fuel loads across
large areas in a timely manner is daunting.
And, prescribed burning is not a solution
for all forest types, especially those that
naturally experience infrequent, severe
fires. Because severe fires are natural in
wetter, often remote, mid- and
high-elevation forests, it will be important
to allow wildfires in these settings to burn
so that patchworks of different tree ages
can limit subsequent fire severity and
spread.</p>
<p>Third, because fires will be part of our
future, communities and individuals need to
plan and prepare for wildfire. Embers can
travel miles ahead of an active fire and
ignite homes by entering soffit vents,
landing on ignitable roofs and lighting
fuels adjacent to the home. Houses with
protective vents and screens prevent embers
from entering a home, double-paned windows
are needed to withstand the heat and
pressure of fire, and fire-resistant roofing
and siding reduces the likelihood of
igniting the home. Removing fuels within 100
yards of structures and building with less
flammable building materials also reduces
fire risk.</p>
<p>As we set new records for annual area
burned and for numbers of homes destroyed,
lives lost and smoke-filled days, we are
faced with a new reality. The message is
clear: Fire is a natural part of our western
ecosystems and will be part of our future.
Despite best efforts, we cannot manage our
way out of the enormous climate-driven fires
that are occurring across the West but we
can adopt practices that can help us better
live with wildfire into the future.</p>
<p>The first step is to acknowledge that
wildfire is inevitable under climate change.
The next step is to tackle the problem on
multiple fronts: reduce emission of
greenhouse gases that are warming our
climate, reintroduce fire to landscapes
where it is safe to do so, let fires burn in
remote areas, modify our buildings and
landscaping and rethink where we live. As
individuals and communities, we need to take
steps that reduce the negative impacts of
fire and better plan and prepare for a
future with wildfire.</p>
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<p>Dave McWethy is an assistant professor of
Earth Sciences at Montana State University;
Cathy Whitlock is regents professor of Earth
Sciences at Montana State University.</p>
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