Life-giving fire.Editor: Fires are destructive, particularly so when viewed from the standpoint of preserving human lives and property. And we commend AMERICAN FORESTS American Forests is a nonprofit conservation organization that promotes healthy forests and urban tree planting. The organization was established in 1875 as the American Forestry Association, by physician/horticulturist John Aston Warder and a group of like-minded citizens and its Wildfire ReLeaf program for its replanting efforts to stabilize watersheds and get things growing again. Thanks to your organization and all the volunteers who have donated so much time to speed healing on the land. However, in your Spring 2005 issue, the article titled "Afterburn" by Ethan Kearns fails to mention--even once in a lengthy article--the life-renewing properties that fire can bestow be·stow tr.v. be·stowed, be·stow·ing, be·stows 1. To present as a gift or an honor; confer: bestowed high praise on the winners. 2. on a landscape (can you say Yellowstone?). In fact, in reading the article, one would have a difficult time finding anything positive to say about fire. Granted, the article was more about things happening after the fire was gone, yet ... we wish American Forests would take pains Verb 1. take pains - try very hard to do something be at pains endeavor, endeavour, strive - attempt by employing effort; "we endeavor to make our customers happy" not to paint fire with such a simple, broad brush. The issue of fire is ecologically and socially complex, to say the least. Our forests absolutely need fire for certain processes to take place. Our communities need protection from devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. wildfires. We'd love to see an article in a future issue that explores these two thoughts, weighs them against one another, and offers some potential management solutions. Or maybe you recently ran such an article and I missed it? Sandy Shea High Country Citizens' Alliance The Citizens' Alliance is a defunct political party in Trinidad and Tobago which was led by economist Wendell Mottley. At the last legislative elections, October 7, 2002, the party won 1.0% of popular votes and captured no seats. Crested Butte, Colorado Often called "the last great Colorado ski town", Crested Butte is a small resort town located in Gunnison County in the U.S. state of Colorado. A former coal mining hub, Crested Butte is now a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities. Thanks for your thoughtful note. We have done numerous articles in the past explaining that fire can be beneficial to an ecosystem--and in some cases, such as with longleaf pine, is critical to its survival. This article was meant to encourage people to plant trees to bring back damaged ecosystems, but it probably would have benefited from a note reminding people that fire is not always bad. |
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