Fuels treatments in the 21st century - do they matter?

Abstract

Fuels treatments have long mattered, and are expected to into the future. Mangers are trying desperately to quantitatively answer the question "How much of the risk of wildfire to key values is being reduced through fuels management programs?" Serious challenges to continued implementation of fuels treatments persist, such as lack of sufficient resources to accomplish meaningful risk reduction, where to apply those limited resources, how fuels programs contributed to the goals of the Cohesive Strategy, what level of wildfire intensity are treatments designed to mitigate, and can fuels programs be expected to address the "wildfire paradox." Do we have the societal will and resources to make a substantive reduction of wildfire risk in the wildlands of the US?

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the large wildland fires conference; May 19-23, 2014; Missoula, MT

Citation

Christiansen, Erik C. 2015. Fuels treatments in the 21st century - do they matter? In: Keane, Robert E.; Jolly, Matt; Parsons, Russell; Riley, Karin. Proceedings of the large wildland fires conference; May 19-23, 2014; Missoula, MT. Proc. RMRS-P-73. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 267-268.