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Latest Posts tagged with "Wildland Fire"

Salmon and wildfire both find their place in Idaho’s wilderness

August 19, 2010 By John McCarthy

Shooting star wildflowers in a meadow in Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, Idaho. Photo by John McCarthy.

Every spring I hike out to a special meadow in Idaho’s Frank-Church River of No Return Wilderness to see spectacular wildflowers. Earlier this month, I had a chance to witness the same wild place, only this time to see a burning summer wildfire. Both the flowers and the fire are wonderful and beautiful acts of nature. My location for connection with nature is the southwest corner of the vast Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho. At 2.3 million acres, here the wilderness is big enough to provide a full view of wild nature. Read more

Two shades of green: Vilsack funds rural jobs that revitalize forests

August 18, 2010 By Christopher Lancette

Forest scientists walk through lupine flowers in fire burnt forest in Idaho. Photo by John McCarthy.

Pop the cork on the champagne — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has given The Wilderness Society another reason to celebrate. Thanks to a secretarial decision announced on Aug. 13, communities in nine states will soon see more jobs, healthier forests, clean water and more abundant wildlife. Read more

Wind shifting in right direction on fire policy

July 8, 2009 By Rich Fairbanks

Firefighters at Trapper Ridge Fire. Photo by John McCarthy.

Though shifts in the wind aren’t always welcome when fighting wildfires, they can be very refreshing if they’re coming from the halls of government. Thanks to the hard work of the Forest Service, Department of Interior, Congress and nonprofits like ours, we’re starting to see positive change on a host of wildfire-related issues. Read more

What’s changed in national fire policy and why it matters

July 7, 2009 By Greg Aplet, Ph.D.

Areas of the Prescott National Forest in Arizona are getting a long overdue visitor called fire. Normally, this wouldn’t be news — the type of ponderosa pine forests that make up places like the Prescott are naturally thinned out and tidied up by low-intensity fires every five years or so. It’s like nature’s maid service. Read more

Newspaper gets it right on wildfire

June 8, 2009 By Christopher Lancette

Smoke from Trapper Ridge Fire. Photo by John McCarthy.

The Daily Courier in Prescott, Az., published two pieces last week that could not make for better guides on how the press should cover the role wildfires play in improving the health of our forests and our communities. Though it’s often a difficult concept to explain because people are understandably wary of wildfires, the truth is that some wildfires that don’t threaten people or property can actually be good things. Read more

Fire season shouldn’t mean robbing Peter to pay Paul

March 23, 2009 By Christopher Lancette

Conservation organizations like ours love to ask supporters to contact their congressmen to vote yes on all kinds of bills. But, the truth is that a lot of federal legislation doesn’t easily fire people up. We’ve got a bill for you that does just that and it’s about, well, wildfires. We need your help to get Congress to pass this bill. The House is scheduled to vote Wednesday, March 25. What’s the problem? Read more