First, responses to last week’s forest inventory quiz: 1. Forestland in the U.S. has expanded by 41.88 million acres since 1920, marking a 5.8% increase. 2. Nearly three in ten acres of forest—29%—fall under federal jurisdiction. 3. Merchantable timber volume rose 72% between 1953 and 2022. 4. Over half—63%—of forested land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management consists of mature (45.3%) and old-growth (18.5%) stands. 5. The leading causes of tree loss in these mature and old-growth forests are wildfire (3.2% annually), followed by insects and disease (2.3%), with logging accounting for just 0.3%.
These statistics suggest timber abundance across the country, with the vast majority of federally held forests composed of trees past midlife. Yet much of the policy focus remains on the very forests targeted by environmental advocates—precisely where fire and biological pests drive most tree mortality. Combined, those two stressors account for more than half (5.5%) of annual losses, outpacing current growth rates.
Under present policy direction, shaped significantly by advocacy efforts favoring reduced human intervention, forest health is trending downward. Restoring balance calls for reviving strategies honed over generations by Indigenous land stewards: proactive, ecologically grounded forest management across all age classes—including older stands—rather than allowing land to revert to passive wilderness.
Historically, Native perspectives viewed undisturbed wilderness not as pristine, but as degraded terrain resulting from discontinued care. As Sierra Miwok elder James Rust observed, “The white man sure ruined this country—it’s turned back to wilderness.” This sentiment, cited in *The State of Fire: Why California Burns* (2024), echoes a broader truth about ecological neglect.
The core challenge today is not scarcity of trees, but an overabundance sustained by insufficient stewardship. Indigenous communities historically kept fuel buildup low through frequent, purposeful burning and harvesting. Since Euro-American settlement around 1850—176 years ago—forest management has fluctuated. A brief window of active intervention lasted four decades, from the 1940s to the late 1970s, sandwiched between eras of intensive extraction and hands-off policy. This boom-bust rhythm recurs across sectors, suggesting an opportunity to recalibrate priorities.
Those who worked within the system during that 40-year span witnessed firsthand the benefits of structured forest practices, especially prescribed fire. Without fuel reduction, modern fire use alone risks widespread ecological disruption—as demonstrated in recent catastrophes such as Paradise and Spokane.
Two primary tools remain viable for lowering fuel loads: prescribed fire and mechanical intervention, including thinning and commercial harvest. Continuing down the path of inaction invites escalating consequences, with growing public pressure likely only after fire severity and smoke exposure intensify further.
The scale of the current situation is vast and escalating at a pace that far outstrips the modest interventions undertaken so far. Addressing this challenge requires the implementation of selective logging methods across a significant portion of the land, encompassing the removal of both smaller growth and trees deemed merchantable. The regulation capping operations at a 21-inch diameter is viewed as unreasonable and should be eliminated.
Funding remains a primary hurdle, as thinning operations are a costly endeavor. Revenue generated from the harvesting of merchantable timber is essential to finance future progress. Conducted properly, selective harvesting is environmentally sound and results in superior habitats for local wildlife and plant life. Although the aftermath of such work may appear untidy initially, the local ecosystem is resilient and recovers much faster than landscapes scarred by major fires. This approach mirrors forestry practices utilized during the 1970s, which yielded positive outcomes, and modern equipment is now available to further improve these methods. Several specific obstacles must still be overcome.
Next: The Path Forward.