Jackson Tupper | US Environmental Policy Student

The Fremont-Winema National Forest plays an essential role in the Oregon community. It’s a destination of wild exploration and recreation, home to the native Klamath tribe and thousands of species, a boon for Oregon’s economy, and mitigates damages brought on by the changing climate^[1]. However, nationally protected land, specifically forests, are increasingly under threat by vast and almost unstoppable wildfires. In 2020, California’s worst wildfire year, 4.3 million acres of land burned across 8,648 fires^[2]. These fires are not simple coincidences or a recent trend, though – humanity’s incidental and intentional impacts are responsible. There is much that we can do to mitigate our role in starting these fires – 85% of them are from human-related ignition sources^[3]. However, changes in our management techniques for national forests have the capacity to limit the spread of those fires that do ignite. By refining our management techniques and limiting wildfire-prone underbrush for 238 million acres^[4] of federal forest, including the old-growth pine of Fremont-Winema, our ancient forests can continue to deliver economic, social, and environmental benefits for all.

Old-growth pine forests, such as the Ponderosa pine of Fremont-Winema, naturally promote resilience within ecosystems to protect from potentially catastrophic and costly wildfires. Young and immature forests have flourishing underbrush and low canopies, as opposed to the towering trunks with fire-resistant bark that characterize older trees^[5]. These immature forests, common in areas where over-logging has occurred, have poorly developed understories and accumulations of needles and thin branches – often referred to as “wildfire fuel” by experts^[6]. As such, this fuel stockpile in the underbrush portents that a wildfire in these immature woodlands could easily turn into a catastrophic inferno. Additionally, the undergrowth reflects foliage of different heights, meaning that some of the brush may act as a ladder to carry flames from the easily burned floor up into the tops of the trees^[7]. The presence of these ladder fuels is often an identifying feature of massive and incredibly damaging wildfires that grow to uncontrollable levels. When a fire reaches the canopy, the blaze gains access to another set of powerful fuels among the treetops, providing yet more kindling while also gaining access to the wind – meaning the fire may spread even further^[8]. The undergrowth and ladder fuels present in forests where logging and regrowth are common mean that these forests are much more susceptible to catastrophic-level wildfires.

Conversely, the thick bark, high branches, and developed understory of an old-growth forest make it incredibly difficult for the flames to reach the canopies^[9]. Generally, wildfires (without the help of ladder fuels) are not powerful enough to ignite the thick bark typical of old-growth forests, especially in the case of Ponderosa pine. This means that a fire would likely only burn the floor and shallow understory without having enough fuel to reach up into the canopies. These fires are not only preferable to the massive, catastrophic burns seen in young forests, but they are also ideal for promoting biodiversity and ecological resilience in the ecosystem. Burning is necessary to clear out dead organic matter and regenerate the habitats of organisms living in the forests. Other trees, such as the Lodgepole pine of the Pacific Northwest, have seeds enclosed in resin-covered cones that must first be melted to be released^[10]. These natural features mean the ground-based wildfires inherent to old-growth forests are effective for the ecosystem while also creating significantly less damage for the forest, its timber supply, and the wildland-urban interface. Maintaining these old growth forests, rather than prioritizing their usage for logging purposes, remains the best way to protect our communities from burning.

The benefits to greater fire resilience don’t stop at mere figures of land burned – resilience also portents improved outcomes for local air quality and public health. After periods of increased deforestation, the Amazon Rainforest saw their fire count in the dry season grow by 39%^[11] – further illustrating the point that cutting down ancient trees makes lands more susceptible to fire. Studies associate lower deforestation levels with better air quality, stemming from both decreased fire counts and the reduced presence of particulate matter pollutants. The boost in air quality from the forests results in public health boons. In the case of South America, maintaining and protecting these old-growth forests from overlogging saved between 5,000 and 16,000 lives annually, based on the DALYs lost from changes to air quality^[12]. Leveraging these preservation practices, then, in our national forests has the capacity to improve public health and potentially save thousands of lives through better fire safety and air quality.

The conservation of old-growth forestry does not have to stand in opposition to economic development, as is commonly misconstrued. While timber is needed in certain sectors, the recreation economy propped up by these ancient forests can more than outweigh the financial benefits of logging. Notably, outdoor recreation contributes more to the national economy than timber, grazing, and mineral development combined^[13]. Counties with over 30% public land have job growth rates nearly four times those without public land, meaning that these managed forests provide better work opportunities for locals^[14]. In Washington’s old-growth Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, outdoor recreationalists spent $80M in nearby communities annually – also supporting local economies^[15]. Protecting these mature woodlands, then, can generate diverse financial benefits for the surrounding area that vastly outstrip those of timber.

Old-growth forests are more fire resilient, better for public health, and economically

superior options compared to young or deforested lands. The recent extreme logging measures proposed by the current administration (EO on Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production) threaten these old-growth forests and can make our towns, cities, and villages more susceptible to costly and dangerous fires^[16]. We recommend that the USFS execute proper management practices, such as the culling of undergrowth and maintenance of ancient trees, in order to promote ecological resistance and foster local American economies. These lands are critical to our nation’s wellbeing, but are under attack by both climate change and the current administration. Destinations like the Fremont-Winema National Forest need the right protection if we want to keep their positive externalities – otherwise, a fire disaster could set our homes up in smoke.

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^[1] Binkley, Daniel, Tom Sisk, Carol Chambers, Judy Springer, and William Block. “The role of old-growth forests in frequent-fire landscapes.” Ecology and Society 12.2. 2007. https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/29157. (Accessed April 18, 2025)

^[2] Stelloh, Tim. “California Exceeds 4 Million Acres Burned by Wildfires in 2020.” NBC News. October 4, 2020. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-exceeds-4-million-acres-burned-wildfires-2020-n1242078. (Accessed April 18, 2025)

^[3] “Wildfire Causes and Evaluations.” National Park Service. March 8, 2022. https://www.nps.gov/articles/wildfire-causes-and-evaluation.htm. (Accessed April 18, 2025)

^[4] Cortez, Kelli. “What Percent of US Land Is National Forest?” Geographic FAQ Hub. January 20, 2025. https://www.ncesc.com/geographic-faq/what-percent-of-us-land-is-national-forest-2/. (Accessed April 18, 2025)

^[5] Binkley,  “The role of old-growth forests in frequent-fire landscapes.”

^[6] ibid.

^[7] Conard, S., and M. Hilbruner. “Influence of Forest Structure on Wildfire Behavior and the Severity of its Effects.” USDA Forest Service. 2003. https://www.fs.usda.gov/projects-policies/hfi/docs/forest_structure_wildfire.pdf. (Accessed April 18, 2025)

^[8] ibid.

^[9] Binkley, “The role of old-growth forests in frequent-fire landscapes.”

^[10] “The Ecological Benefits of Fire” National Geographic Society. National Geographic. July 15, 2022. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/ecological-benefits-fire/. (Accessed April 18, 2025)

^[11] Butt, Edward W., Luke Conibear, Christoph Knote, and Dominick V. Spracklen. “Large air quality and public health impacts due to Amazonian deforestation fires in 2019.” GeoHealth 5.7. 2021. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8311915/. (Accessed April 18, 2025)

^[12] ibid.

^[13] “National Forests Support Recreation Economy.” National Wildlife Federation Blog. July 23, 2014. https://blog.nwf.org/2014/07/national-forests-support-recreation-economy/. (Accessed April 18, 2025).

^[14] ibid.

^[15] “What Is an Intact Forest Worth? Up to $1 Trillion, in the Case of Greater Seattle’s Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie.” The Wilderness Society. n.d. https://www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/what-intact-forest-worth-1-trillion-case-greater-seattles-mt-baker-snoqualmie. (Accessed April 18, 2025).

^[16] “Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production.” The White House. March 2, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/immediate-expansion-of-american-timber-production/. (Accessed April 18, 2025).