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• selective harvest, leaving the large fire resistant tree species 

 followed by Rx fire. 



4. Specifically, what will prescribed burning accomplish and is it 

 being used to any large degree in the West/ 



The most effective strategy to prevent catastrophic wildfires is 

 preventive maintenance where it is appropriate, i.e., prescribed 

 burning under controlled conditions. Periodic Rx fire in fire 

 dependent ecosystems: 



• reduces accumulated forest litter, thereby reducing the risk 

 of catastrophic wildfire and protecting important resource 

 values such as human life, property, timber, water quality, 

 fish and wildlife habitat, and long-term air quality. 



• rejuvenates grass and shrub understories and improves 

 wildlife forage. 



• recycles carbon and nutrients tied-up in forest litter. 



• thins young trees, prunes lower branches on larger trees, 

 favors fire resistant species and assures survivalof the large 

 diameter trees. 



• restores the natural role of fire as an ecological process and 

 the historical structure and function of fire dependent 

 ecosystems where fire has been excluded. 



• replaces severe, high intensity, and expansive wildfire with 

 lower intensity, less severe and smaller prescribed fire. 



And what happens if we do not burn in fire dependent ecosystems? 



Answer: We will have larger, more expensive, more severe fires, with 

 more floods, and fewer forests, fish, and wildlife. 



Unfortunately, prescribed fire is not used to the extent it could be on 

 most of the public lands to prevent catastrophic wildfires, maintain 

 fire dependent ecosystems, or to restore ecological processes. 



5. Why has it been used so sparingly in the West? 



