America is a tinder box. In fact, the head of the U.S. Forest Service says one billion acres of United States’ forestland are in danger of igniting and becoming catastrophic wildfires.
Vicki Christiansen also told NPR that fire season is a bit of a misnomer because of the year-round dangerous conditions. She also said it is vital to implement active forest management to deal with the situation.
“Our national priority is to improve the condition of our nation’s forests and grasslands,” Christiansen said. “We are certainly focused on the timber outputs, but that is only one of the critical measures. We are tracking with laser focus our hazardous fuels reduction and our watershed health and restoration as well.”
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is a long-time advocate of active forest management for the sake of improved wildlife habitat and overall forest health. To date, RMEF has permanently protected or enhanced more than 7.6 million acres of habitat.
(Photo source: U.S. Forest Service)