ABSTRACT
Scientifically based forest restoration treatments, including thinning and prescribed burning, will set us on the path to healthy forested landscapes—landscapes like the early settlers and explorers saw in the late 1800s. In dealing with the forests of the American West, restorationists need to think about landscapes that typically cover 100,000—1,000,000 ac—large pieces of land that include not only wildlands but also human communities. According to a US General Accounting Office report, the country is already spending more than 90% of its fire suppression monies fighting fires in ponderosa pine and dry mixed conifer forests in the West. Ecological restoration provides the solid foundation for helping these damaged ecosystems recover, and adaptive management is the only viable approach for dealing with the forest health crisis. Finally, restoration efforts will be hampered if the readers fail to make sure that trees are being removed principally for the purpose of restoring natural forest patterns and processes, not economic gain.
