Restore ponderosa forests - and reduce fire risk? Study shows the path forward

Sylvia Kantor; Michael A. Battaglia; Wade Tinkham; Kimberley T. Davis; Russell A. Parsons; James Menakis; Chad M. Hoffman; Justin Ziegler

Treesearch

Restore ponderosa forests - and reduce fire risk? Study shows the path forward

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Sylvia Kantor, Michael A. Battaglia, Wade Tinkham, Kimberley T. Davis, Russell A. Parsons, James Menakis, Chad M. Hoffman, Justin Ziegler

Year:

2026

Type:

Science Bulletins and Newsletters

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Science You Can Use (in 5 Minutes). Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

Download (PDF 1.38 MB)

Download (PDF 1.38 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/80565.pdf

Abstract

Forest managers are increasingly looking to restore ponderosa pine forests to more ecologically diverse conditions - forests with clusters of trees, openings, and multiple age classes instead of the evenly spaced, uniform stands produced by traditional forest management.

Keywords

ponderosa pine forests, forest management, restoration, fire behavior, fire behavior fuel reduction

Citation

Kantor, Sylvia; Battaglia, Mike A.; Tinkham, Wade; Davis, Kim; Parsons, Russ; Menakis, James; Hoffman, Chad M.; Ziegler, Justin. 2026. Restore ponderosa forests - and reduce fire risk? Study shows the path forward. Science You Can Use (in 5 Minutes), June 2026. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.