Sample Letter to the Editor

Imagine a force capable of releasing the energy equivalent of a Hiroshima-type atomic bomb exploding every 5 to 15 minutes. That’s what fighting a catastrophic wildfire can be like. So far this year wildfires have burned 6.5 million acres, taken the lives of 21 Americans, destroyed more than 2500 homes, and cost taxpayers more than $1.2 billion dollars. The costs of wildlife habitat destruction, soil erosion and the degradation of air and water quality will probably never be accounted for.

With polls showing that 83 percent of Americans are concerned about the threat of wildfire to our public lands, and many Western politicians demanding action, Congress should move swiftly on this issue. Sadly, this is not the case, and the President’s Forest Health Initiative sits stalled in debate.

Western forests are in their present condition because of 70 years of fire suppression and the failure to keep forests properly thinned. Historically 25-35 mature trees per acre grew in these forests, but now more than 500 trees are crowded together in dense and stunted stands. These forests are a tinderbox waiting for a spark. The solution is to use selective thinning to restore forests to healthier conditions.

Thinning is necessary, not just around homes and communities, but also in surrounding forests. Once wildland fires make the transition to catastrophic wild fires, they spread quickly, burn intensely, and consume thousands of acres. This is far from the natural fire pattern once common to these forests.

Clearly, these conditions cannot be corrected overnight, but if we begin now to improve the condition of these forests through proper management, we will bless future generations with healthier, safer forests. In the process we can create jobs in depressed rural communities, and increase the nation’s supply of affordable housing.

Sincerely,