Are Leading Fire Ecologists Really Lying?
In February, 2006, Tom Bonnicksen peppered the op-ed sections of numerous newspapers with an opinion piece claiming that “extremists are using hyperbole, unsubstantiated claims, and convenient myths to oppose” logging burned forests and “cite myths about the Yellowstone fires of 1988 to argue we should not restore burned forests.” He blames the National Park Service for the fires and comes close to calling the top fire ecologists in the country liars. What does Bonnicksen mean by “restoring forests?” He would like to see the burned trees logged and new trees planted. One wonders how forests survived without us (see the impact of “Post-fire Logging” at the bottom of our FORESTS page). When someone spends so much effort to promote an idea, especially with such inflammatory language, it is often helpful to consider their motivation and connections. Due to his economic and political interests, it is difficult to view Dr. Bonnicksen as the objective observer and expert that he portrays hims
