Controversy Flares Up Over Forest Fire Policies
May 18, 2026
The US Forest Service has halted previously approved funding for using controlled burns to minimize future forest fires, NPR reports, citing the government’s intention to focus primarily on a “full fire suppression strategy.” In Issues, Jerry F. Franklin and James K. Agee maintain that to address the variability of both forests and fires, the nation needs comprehensive science-based policies that consider all aspects of wildfire management. Necessary efforts, they write, would include carefully controlled burning of ground fuel to reduce fire hazards, suppression when fires erupt, and ecologically sound salvage and restoration treatments following fire outbreaks.