Reducing fire risk is complicated

by Skip Kowalski and Kirk Thompson, co-chairs, Bitterroot Forest Collaborative

We’ve received some criticism for our Letter to the Editor (LTE) printed in February 5th’s Bitterroot Star, specifically the perceived inference that if landowners “only” use fire-wise practices they will save their home from being burned down by wildfire. This was not our intent. To assume that being fire-wise will guarantee your safety from wildfire is as ill-advised as it is to assume increasing timber harvest alone will ensure that your home will not be destroyed by wildfire. Under the right circumstances (an ignition source, dry conditions, flashy fuels, high temperatures, low humidities and exceedingly high winds), nothing will stop wildfire from encroaching on forest homes. However, we can reduce the probability of home fire ignition.

The important points of our LTE were intended to be: (1) reduction of fuels including using prescribed burning on National Forest lands is taking place, but that alone cannot protect private property from wildfire; (2) private landowners are a critical part of the equation and must use fire-wise practices around structures and their private property; (3) while the fuels that really need to be treated are the smaller diameter ladder fuels that have little economic value, there are some situations where removing commercial trees may be necessary to reduce the total fuel load to desired levels; (4) mill closures, combined with unfavorable economic conditions, mean that we cannot expect the economic value of sawlogs included as part of fuels treatment projects to completely pay for properly treating fuels; (5) and last, but not least, reducing fuels on both public and private lands combined with and using fire-wise practices on private property will take major investments of both public and private dollars.

Although minimizing the risk of wildfire is complicated and there is no one-size fits all solution, it can be done. Much work has already been accomplished or is planned. The Ravalli County Board of County Commissioners will be seeking input to revise the Ravalli County Natural Resources Policy and a revision of the Bitterroot National Forest Land Resource and Management Plan is on the horizon. However, it will take everyone to work together to make sure that these documents have sufficient public input and that planned actions are carried out. It will take everyone’s support to ensure that our federal, state and local governments prioritize and fund the needed work on public lands, provide ways to assist private landowners to make their private property fire-wise and acknowledge that we must learn to live safely with frequent wildfires.  We all need to do our part. The future of our valley depends on it.