More Fire Prevention By Thinning Needed in Washington State

The Yakima Herald published an article discussing the use of thinning by commercial loggers on public lands to reduce extreme fire danger. Though not a true panacea to fire risk, thinning can be a vital tool in reducing the chances for destructive fires that are unmanageable due to size and geography.

For too many years now, our state has had a hands-off approach to managing its public lands. This lack of proactive maintenance has made our state’s forests denser, both in canopy and in underbrush – resulting in disease susceptibility, poor sun penetration, limited access, and extreme fire danger.

There are a number of bills regarding wildfire prevention and forest management. The Washington Lens covered many of those bills, and can be viewed here.