A state agency is drawing up a map of wildfire risks to guide building codes. Local leaders told lawmakers they want to be sure the maps reflect risks accurately.
With snowpack running well behind the seasonal average, Missoula County is racing to gather its resources ahead of what's anticipated to be an active wildfire season.
George Wuerthner writes, "The Biden administration's recent effort to protect old growth forests is a step in the right direction. Still, we also need to protect mature forests which ultimately transition to old growth over time."
The federal response to more frequent wildfires should resemble strategies addressing other natural disasters, such as hurricanes, a panel of fire safety and emergency response professionals told lawmakers.
A group of scientists are trying to convince people that fireproofing their homes is far more effective than logging the forest when it comes to surviving wildfire.