How have past forest management practices contributed to this problem?
It is generally accepted that many forest management policies and practices contributed to the unnatural tree densities that now exist in our forests. Fire prevention and suppression activities appear to be the primary factors interrupting the natural fire return cycle. Fire suppression and over-grazing during the first three-quarters of the 20th century were supposed to protect forests from a perceived “enemy” but ended up programming our forests for fiercer wildfires in the final quarter-century, not to mention these first few years of the 21st century.
