WHY IS THE WILDFIRE PREVENTION VOLUNTEER PROGRAM NEEDED?
The forest is a dynamic, complex system of soil, water, plants and animals; everyone must respect and help care for it. People are drawn to their National Forests for a wide variety of reasons. Some seek recreational activities such as camping, hiking, fishing, boating and mountain biking. Others come to study nature, or simply to enjoy the solitude. Still others migrate to the forest as permanent residents. As coastal and inland valley cities grow, many people wish to live in smaller communities surrounded by forest. As a result, more people are living adjacent to forests, grasslands, and chaparral than ever before. And here, at the Wildland/Urban Interface (W/UI), problems begin to arise. Many of these forest residents do not realize that wildlands in Southern California have evolved with fire as a major part of the ecosystem. These forests, grasslands and chaparral are designed to burn. Mountain and desert communities, as well as major cities, are in danger should fires spread from
