August 28, 2003 Vol. 1 No. 1

Living With Our Forests

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Forest and Wild Fire Danger in the West

The 2003 fire season is now more than half over and we’ve been pretty lucky. Even with tinder dry conditions over most of the west, the forest acreage lost to fires in 2003 remains below the losses of the past 3 fire seasons and even below the long-term average. Yet, every day there are forest and wild fires ablaze across the western U.S. We are not alone. Canada, Europe and parts of Asia have also been especially hard hit this year.

Wildfires in the Rockies
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But forest and wild fires are natural (as well as a human-caused) phenomena. Understanding them – how they happen, how they spread, how they are extinguished (again naturally and with human-intervention) and how they impact life here on planet Earth – better enables us to be ready for them, should they ever strike close to home. And as cities and urban centers expand, and as people build vacation homes in forestlands, our exposure to fire increases.

To understand these types of fires means that we must also understand forests - the role they play in nature, society and our everyday lives. And that makes the theme of this first issue – Living With Our Forests - particularly relevant.

Forests As a Natural Helper

There are about 736 million acres of forest in the United States, which cover about one third of the nation’s total land area. Although this same percentage applies to the 11 western-most contiguous states, the actual percentage of forested land varies from state to state. For example, Colorado is 32% forested; Arizona has a 27% forest cover; and California has 37% coverage.
Evolution of Wildfire in WA
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In addition to providing valuable recreational resources and serving as a home for countless species of wildlife, healthy, resilient forests perform many other important duties. For example:

  • Forest trees break the fall of raindrops, lessening their impact and preventing soil erosion.
  • Forests slow and filter storm water runoff, reducing the risk of flooding and lessening the amount of sediment entering our waterways.
  • Forests act as sponges, absorbing rainfall and snowmelt and allowing precipitation to seep into groundwater and recharge aquifers. Water stored this way in the forest can be released slowly into streams during dry periods, helping to sustain stream flows and aquatic ecosystems.
  • Forest trees and plants use sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into energy needed to grow. This process, known as photosynthesis, provides life-sustaining oxygen as a byproduct. It also removes or “fixes” carbon dioxide in plant tissue. One mature tree absorbs approximately 13 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Carbon dioxide is one the “greenhouse gases” that contributes to global warming.
  • Forests also provide 55% of the nation's wood and paper products and support natural water purification of drinking water.

When forests are unhealthy, ecosystems can become out-of-balance and forests are more prone to catastrophic fires.

Forests As Neighbors

But forests are also home to us. We love their beauty, serenity and calmness. And often, we find ourselves living in or near to them. With such closeness, comes the risk of forest and wild fires to our homes, our belongings and possibly ourselves.

Featured On-Air Graphic
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In this newsletter, you’ll find lots of “neighborly” information that you can share with your viewers. There is an interactive learning tool to help people see how to gain that defensible space around their homes. There are also lean, clean and green tips. And there are many links to help you locate other information that you can share with your viewers. The important message is to be ready BEFORE a fire threatens.

 

   
 

StormCenter Communications, Inc.

USDA Forest Service

The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation
   
  Envirocast Forest and Wildland Fires 2003 is a joint project of the USDA Forest Service, the National Environmental Education & Training Foundation (NEETF) and StormCenter Communications, Inc. The views expressed in this document are solely those of NEETF and StormCenter Communications, Inc. The USDA Forest Service does not endorse any products, commercial services or links mentioned in this newsletter.