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Forest Journalism for a Sustainable Future

One-size-fits-all fire suppression doesn’t work

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The Lolo Peak fire just south and west of Missoula, Montana, caused one firefighter’s death and left two families without homes. Photo: U.S. Forest Service.

“For every complex problem, there is a simple solution … which is wrong.”

I learned long ago that there are as many expert opinions about an issue as there are people thinking about it. Every year, or every bad fire year, there are numerous opinions regarding what should be done to minimize the economic costs of fire, from loss of timber to loss of homes. They fall into roughly three categories; the Forest Service should cut more timber, federal lands should be given to the states to manage, and let the private sector take over the management of those lands.

The problem would be greatly simplified if all of those acres were similar and could be similarly managed, but they aren’t and they can’t be. Forest types are different throughout Montana ranging from the wet western forests to the drier eastern ones. Land contours are also different and control the management possible. In areas that are too rugged to fight fires it stands to reason that they are too rugged to log, nonetheless fires will start in them and timber will be lost. [Read more…]

Urban forests a key to survivability during climate-induced heat waves

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Graphic courtesy of NOAA Climate.gov

In May of this year, a hot spell broiled Boston. In June, extreme temperatures grounded Phoenix’s planes. Last week, Seattle suffered under record temperatures.

When a heat wave is forecast, the standard advice is to drink plenty of water, take frequent breaks and wear sunscreen. But for extreme heat events, those steps may not be enough.

Over 30 percent of all weather-related deaths in the United States are attributable to high outdoor temperatures, heat stroke or sunstroke. And heat waves are expected to increase in intensity with climate change.

How should U.S. cities prepare for extreme heat events? My research shows that the answer isn’t clear-cut, and that they should pursue multiple solutions rather than looking for one “best” option. [Read more…]

Climate change in the West: Preparing for a future that is here

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The Rice Ridge fire near Seeley Lake, Montana, produced in-town particulate-pollution readings higher than any ever recorded in Missoula County. Photo: U.S. Forest Service.

The vacation cabins that ring Seeley Lake emptied long before Labor Day this year. The tourists who come to swim, fish, and boat on the lake where Norman Maclean spent his summers had taken their fun and their recreation dollars elsewhere. Even many of the town’s full-time residents cleared out — as the Missoula City-County Health Department urgently recommended.

It happened because Seeley Lake, where the growing tourist trade has superseded Pyramid Mountain Lumber Co. as the primary driver of the economy, had turned into a hellscape. Smoke from the nearby Rice Ridge fire rolled down the surrounding hillsides with each night’s cooling air and filled the valley with so many pollutants that the county’s air-quality monitor was often pushed beyond its limits. Visibility shrank to less than a quarter mile, and streetlights along the main drag came on during cloudless days. [Read more…]

Wildfires, the smoking gun of Western climate change?

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The Rice Ridge fire near Seeley Lake, Montana, burned more than 160,000 acres this summer, forcing weeks of evacuation alerts and the worst air quality ever recorded in the mountain town. Photo: inciweb

As cooler temperatures and precipitation finally bring a hint of relief to smoke-weary Montanans, the unusual nature of summer 2017 is coming into focus and the influence of climate change is impossible to ignore.

Extreme weather has no doubt been the dominant story throughout the country this summer as hurricanes and tropical storms have ravaged the southeastern United States and wildfires have wreaked havoc in the West. A simple Google search will yield hundreds of stories about the impacts of these events, but very few mention climate change as a contributing factor. And that’s unfortunate.

Collectively, we have over 65 years of experience studying western climate and forest systems, and we are among the authors of the forthcoming Montana Climate Assessment (MCA), a report that focuses on climate trends and their consequences for three of Montana’s vital sectors: water, forests, and agriculture. The Assessment sheds some light on common questions about climate change and its effects on things like drought and wildfires. [Read more…]

Scientists: Climate change, ‘flash drought’ ignited 2017 wildfire season

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Among the casualties of this summer’s extreme wildfires was Sperry Chalet, one of two remaining backcountry chalets in Glacier National Park. Photo: National Park Service

Wildfires continue to burn vast scars across the West, but the political blowback has already begun, with politicians from several states blaming environmentalists for the summer of 2017’s devastation.

But scientists at the National Weather Service and the U.S. Drought Monitor are clear about the conditions that sent this summer’s Western wildfire season into overdrive – even if they didn’t see it coming.

A “flash drought” seized Montana and the Dakotas in early summer, the experts say, brought on by sustained high temperatures and a dearth of rain.

They blame climate change, and warn that these type of events will only become more frequent as global warming deepens. [Read more…]