Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Aren’t some fires considered healthy for a forest?
A. Yes, some fires thin out small trees, brush and weeds on the ground. However, intense and abnormal crown fires burn everything in their path and leave a landscape of dead trees and sterile soil. In the past ten years, over 50 million acres of land has burned—much of it treasured lands with ecological and economic value.

Q. What happens to our federal forests after these catastrophic fires are put out?
A. Trees that were not killed outright by the hot fire have often succumbed to attacks by insects and decay break down the wood, the trees fall and accumulate on the ground, adding to the amount of dead material on the forest floor. This provides fuel for the next fire which will be far more intense and damaging to the soil. Vast expanses of burned landscape left untreated take generations to recover their pre-fire vitality.

Q. Aren't we replanting all of these burned landscapes?
A. Unfortunately we are not. There are no federal regulations in place permitting prompt restoration following catastrophic events. Nor are there any regulations which direct these agencies to replant these landscapes. If promptly removed, the dead trees could pay for the costs of restoration.

Q. What are the benefits of recovering the burned trees?
A. Removing the burned and dead trees reduces hazardous fuel build-up in our forests and can pay for the cost of replanting and nurturing a new forest. It expedites environmental healing to provide a healthy habitat for our fish and wildlife and recreation. It also provides jobs for growing families and wood products to sustain our economy.

Q. How important is timing when it comes to removing the dead trees?
A. Large wildfires leave most of the trees dead but still standing and commercially valuable. These trees can be utilized for most of the same uses as a live tree if they are harvested soon after a fire is out. With each passing season, the insects and rot decrease the value of the timber dramatically. Delaying replanting can become prohibitively costly due to the need to remove competing underbrush. Often by the time even limited recovery plans are approved, most of the value and opportunity for full restoration has been lost.