Page 339 - Environment: The Science Behind the Stories

Another national policy milestone that accentuated a 10
shift toward conservation occurred in 2001, when President
Bill Clinton issued an executive order that became known as 9
the roadless rule. The roadless rule put 23.7 million ha (58.5 8
million acres)—31% of national forest land and 2% of total 7
U.S. land—off-limits to road construction or maintenance 6
(and thus to logging). The roadless rule received strong pop- Millions of acres burned
ular support, including a record 4.2 million public comments. 5
The administration of President George W. Bush marked 4
a change in policy direction. In 2004, the Bush administration 3
freed forest managers from many requirements of the National 2
Forest Management Act, granting them more flexibility in
managing forests but loosening environmental protections 1
and restricting public oversight. In 2005, the Bush admin- 0
istration repealed the roadless rule, inviting states to decide 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
how national forests within their boundaries should be man- Year
aged. Some states responded favorably, whereas others sued FIGURE 12.16 Wildfires have become larger and more numer-
the administration, asking that the roadless rule be reinstated. ous in the United States. Fuel buildup from decades of fire suppres-
Following a series of court rulings, the Obama administration sion has contributed to this trend. Data from National Interagency Fire Center.
reinstated most of the roadless policy but also negotiated with
some states to allow them to develop their own plans. In 2012
the U.S. Supreme Court opted not to hear a challenge to the In the long term, suppressing frequent low-intensity fires
rule, thereby strengthening its place in federal policy. leads to occasional catastrophic fires that damage forests,
destroy property, and threaten human lives. This is because fire
suppression allows limbs, logs, sticks, and leaf litter to accu-
Fire can hurt or help forests mulate on the forest floor, producing kindling for a catastrophic
Another area of policy debate involves how to handle wildfire. fire. Such fuel buildup worsened the 1988 fires in Yellowstone
Smokey Bear, the Forest Service’s beloved cartoon bear in a National Park, the 2009 fires in southern California, the 2012
ranger’s hat, advises us to fight forest fires—and for over a Colorado fires, and thousands of other wildfire episodes. Severe
century, the Forest Service and other agencies suppressed fire fires have become more numerous in recent years (FIGURE 12.16).
whenever and wherever it broke out. Yet scientific research At the same time, increased residential development alongside
now clearly shows that many species and ecological commu- forested land—in the wildland-urban interface—is placing
nities depend on fire. Some plants have seeds that germinate more homes in fire-prone situations (FIGURE 12.17).
only in response to fire, and researchers studying tree rings To reduce fuel loads, protect property, and improve the
have documented that North America’s grasslands and pine condition of forests, land management agencies now burn
woodlands burned frequently. (Burn marks in a tree’s growth areas of forest intentionally with low-intensity fires under
rings reveal past fires, giving scientists an accurate history
of fire events extending back hundreds or even thousands of
years.) Ecosystems dependent on fire are adversely affected FIGURE 12.17 Habitual suppression of fire has led to
when fire is suppressed: Grasslands are invaded by shrubs, catastrophic wildfires that damage forests and threaten
and pine woodlands become cluttered with hardwood under- homes. To avoid these unnaturally severe fires, ecologists suggest
story. Invasive plants move in, and animal diversity and abun- allowing natural fires to burn when we can and conducting
controlled burns to reduce fuel loads and restore forest ecosystems.
dance decline.

FAQ Aren’t all forest fires bad?
No. Fire is a natural process that helps to main-
tain the health of many forests and grasslands. When allowed
to occur naturally, low-intensity fires generally burn moderate
amounts of material, return nutrients to the soil, and promote
lush growth of new vegetation. When we suppress fire, we allow
unnaturally large amounts of dead wood, dried grass, and leaf lit-
ter to accumulate. This material becomes kindling that eventually
can feed a truly damaging fire that grows too big and too hot to
control. This is why many land managers today conduct carefully
controlled prescribed burns and also allow some natural fires to
run their course. By doing so, they aim to help return our fire-
dependent ecosystems to a healthier and safer condition.
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