re: Collaboration to save the West's forests

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Remember that a lot of forested areas contain trees that were planted for timber. They aren’t the apex species of that climate zone. Most of the pine species in south Louisiana and Mississippi would die off and be overtaken by broad leafs, bottom hardwoods and cypress if left alone for a few hundred years.

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This is a good point. However with the government lands I would think it would be better to replant native trees to the area (instead of pine which probably was not native) with hardwoods being preferred. Mainly because hardwoods provide food for wildlife and pines only have cones that squirrels eat.

After the areas are thinned or clear cut, a forestry mulcher could be run under them to remove a lot of the debris. Then in a year or two controlled burns would be of great use. After a while the trees would get large enough for their canopy to kill off most of what would feed a fire.

I would also hope that the forestry service would cut some roads (fire lanes\breaks) so if a fire breaks out the firefighters can get to it quickly. Plus these fire lanes can be used to stop the controlled burns.

My property is on a 4 year burn rotation. Since that started (about 12 years ago) the abundance of wildlife is noticeably higher, and the possibility of a fire destroying it has been reduced.