Changingattitudesonfire
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Thoughoftenviewedasaproblemforwesternst ates,thegrowingfrequencyofwildfiresisanatio nalconcernbecauseofitsimpactonfederaltaxd ollars,ProfessorMoritzandotherssay.
In2015,theUSForestServiceforthefirsttimesp entmorethanhalfofits$5.5billionannualbudg etfightingfires–nearlydoublethepercentageit spentonsuchefforts20yearsago.Ineffect,fewe rfederalfundstodayaregoingtowardstheagen
cy’
sotherwork–suchasforestconservation,water shedandculturalresourcesmanagement,andi nfrastructureupkeep–thataffectthelivesofall
Americans.
Anothernationwideconcerniswhetherpublicf undsfromotheragencies,suchastheDepartme ntofHousingandUrbanDevelopment,aregoin gintoconstructioninfire-pronedistricts.AsM oritzputsit,howoftenarefederaldollarsbuildi nghomesthatarelikelytobelosttoawildfire?
“It’salreadyahugeproblemfromapublicexpendit ureperspectiveforthewholecountry,”hesays.“Weneedtotakeamagnifyingglasstothat.Like,‘Waitaminute,isthisOK?’Dowewantinsteadtoredirectthosefundstocon centrateonlower-hazardpartsofthelandscape
?”
Suchapivotwouldrequireacorrespondingshif tinthewayUSsocietytodayviewsfire,research
erssay.
Foronething,conversationsaboutwildfiresne edtobemoreinclusive.Overthepastdecade,the focushasbeenonclimatechange–howthewar mingoftheEarthfromgreenhousegases(inclu dinghumancarbonemissions)isleadingtocon ditionsthatexacerbatefires.
Whileclimateisakeyelement,Moritzsays,itsh
ouldn’tcomeattheexpenseoftherestoftheequation.
“Thehumansystemsandthelandscapeswelive onarelinked,andtheinteractionsgobothways,”hesays.Fa ilingtorecognizethat,henotes,lead sto“anoverlysimplifiedviewofwhatthesolutio nsmightbe.Ourperceptionoftheproblemand perceptionofwhatthesolutionis[becomes]ver
ylimited.”
Atthesametime,peoplecontinuetotreatfireasa neventthatneedstobewhollycontrolledandun leashedonlyoutofnecessity,saysProfessorBal chattheUniversityofColorado.Butacknowled
gingfire’sinevitablepresenceinhumanlifeisanattitude crucialtodevelopingthelaws,policies,andprac ticesthatmakeitassafeaspossible,shesays.
“We’vedisconnectedourselvesfromlivingwithfire,”Balchsays.“Itisreallyimportanttounderstan dandtryandteaseoutwhatisthehumanconnec
tion[withfire]today.”
