The Wildland Fire Challenge: Protecting the Communities and Restoring Ecosystems

January 1, 2005

In recent summers, large forest fires have burned millions of acres and hundreds of homes across western states where drought conditions prevail.  Alarmed elected officials agree that fuel loads in forests must be reduced to protect communities and restore ecosystems, but they disagree over where and how much.

In this paper, we evaluate the quality of information that feeds wildland fire policy, assess the challenge of identifying and protecting threatened communities from wildland fire, and outline the first steps in a comprehensive strategy to prioritize where fuel reduction and ecosystem restoration measures are needed.

Authors: Greg Aplet and Bo Wilmer