Forging a National Forest Fire Policy
August 31, 2021
In emergency action responding to a forest fire blazing toward Lake Tahoe, residents of long stretches of the lake’s shoreline are being ordered to evacuate. The fire is just one of dozens raging across western states. Beyond immediate firefighting challenges, the United States needs to forge a science-based national forest fire policy, Jerry F. Franklin and James K. Agee argue in Issues. A comprehensive policy, they write, should consider all aspects of wildfire management—including fuel reduction, fire suppression, and landscape restoration—and be part of an overall vision for stewardship and management of the nation’s forests.