Transcript:
As the climate warms, wildfires are intensifying and can burn down huge areas of big, healthy trees.
Sleep: “In the past, we might have thought of stands that were either diseased or under drought conditions or something being more likely to burn. But now we’re finding that everything is willing to burn.”
But Darren Sleep of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative – or SFI – says forest landowners can take steps to reduce the risk to the environment and their livelihoods.
His group develops standards for sustainable forestry. And it certifies wood and paper products sourced from forests that meet their guidelines – for protecting wildlife, replanting trees, and more.
And in their most recent standards, SFI added guidelines about wildfire. They require landowners in fire-prone areas to take steps to reduce their vulnerability – for example, by conducting controlled burns to reduce flammable materials and improve forest health.
These measures cost money. But Sleep says for landowners who depend on revenue from timber harvesting, the price of fire can be far greater.
Sleep: “Yes, it’s an added cost to do this, but it’s a cost that you cannot afford to not do” …
… especially as the climate warms and increases the risk of extreme fires.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
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