Wildfires to improve sustainability
Guest post by student Liz Cutler -
Throughout the second section on fire, forest management, and forage production, Dr. Aguerre and Dr. Hagen guided me toward a greater understanding of the necessity of maintaining Montana's resources. When I learned about wildfires during the spring semester, I was struck by how much had changed in the last several decades. While fire was formerly thought to be undesirable, the new understanding of its importance in the Montana environment has resulted in a significant shift in forest management. Even with this shift, there are still a plethora of hurdles to overcome in order to tackle the complex challenge of utilizing wildfires to improve sustainability in management.
One of these hurdles can be seen in the community, or lack thereof, between ranchers and Montana’s DNRC. After speaking with two representatives of the Montana DNRC, I realized how difficult forest management can be when many members of the local community are unaware of, or choose not to know, what the DNRC is attempting to promote via wildfires. Many ranchers, for example, are keen on ensuring their forage remains untouched by fire. Preserving the availability of forage is crucial for sustaining their cattle operations. While conserving forage could mean more food for cattle, land management directly correlates to wildfires. Grazing management, for instance, can help prevent excessive vegetation growth, reducing fuel loads. Ranchers should develop grazing plans that maintain healthy forage while reducing fire hazards.
Despite the necessity of fire prevention, not all fires should be viewed negatively. A large portion of Montana’s ecosystem relies on fire to spread diversity and keep the current forage population rich and nutritious. Much of the research I performed throughout this section included sampling forages from unburned, burned, thinned, and un-thinned forests in which cattle actively graze on. This was in order to compare the species diversity as well as comparing the native vs non-native forage populations between grazing plots that recently experienced a forest fire. When seeing the sites that had been burned and thinned, I noticed an almost complete coverage of forage on the forest floor. Unburned and un-thinned sites, however, were littered with dead pine straw, decaying logs, and long and dried out forages. It is apparent that fire does contribute to the amount of nutritious forage, and I am eager to analyze the data and see just how influential it can be.
When speaking with Montana’s DNRC, I questioned what the most challenging part of their careers have been. I quickly found out that the lack of community has created a difficult environment for progress in forest management. They emphasized how the general public's lack of knowledge about wildfires not only leads to wildfires, but also adds to their already complex challenge of managing wildfires. In order to properly manage an ongoing fire, volunteer work is crucial. The DNRC spoke about the severe lack of volunteers required for existing problems. They also discussed the difficulties with balancing the need for fire management with existing regulations, as well as addressing liability concerns with both agents and stakeholders. When evaluating these concerns, I see a very clear lack of communication, due to a lack of community formed with the stakeholders involved. Ranchers haven’t been properly educated on fire’s importance in sustaining Montana’s land, but the DNRC has made little attempts at creating a community with their fellow stakeholders. After asking what made the DNRC pick their career’s, one member expressed his appreciation for the lack of interaction he faces with other people. After hearing the rest of the problems, the DNRC has with land management, it is clear that this lack of communication and community building is only harming their ability to sustain Montana’s natural landscape.
Overall, I fear the trajectory with which forest management is headed will not result in the affects they wish to achieve. I’ve also found myself questioning the desire that many forest managers have with placing value on the species they try to protect. These species should not need to prove their worth, but with the clear divide between Montana’s various stakeholders, it appears to be the case. Only by fostering community among forest managers and other stakeholders can the intrinsic worth of all species be discovered.
