Study Casts Doubt On 'Healthy Forests' Initiative

"Thinning forests without also burning accumulated brush and deadwood may increase forest fire damage rather than reduce it, researchers at the Forest Service reported in two recent studies. Studies of fires in 2002 in Colorado, top, and Oregon raise questions about the effectiveness of thinning forests without burning debris. The findings cast doubt on how effective some of the thinning done under President Bush's Healthy Forests Initiative will be at preventing fires if the forests are not also burned...The most efficient way to decrease these fire risks is with prescribed fire, which can be difficult in areas with houses...minor fires have been thwarted because of increasing numbers of homes in grasslands and forests. When a fire does start, it feeds on accumulated fuel and is more damaging than smaller, recurring fires would have been."