Although the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) significantly reduced cutting of old-growth forests on federal land, forests in the driest regions are now at greater risk of being lost to wildfire than to logging. A team of federal and university scientists recently completed a study and analysis of large-diameter forests and discovered that elevated fire levels in the Pacific Northwest outweighed harvest reductions in the loss of older forests. "Fire is a more important factor of loss to old-growth than harvesting between 1993 and 2002," says Tom Spies, a research ecologist and co-author on a study on the dynamics of older forests. The study, which was published in the journal, Ecosystems, concludes that although the NWFP helped stabilize the number of large-diameter forests in the Pacific Northwest, fire was the main reason for loss of these forests. … Other studies indicate that warmer springs and summers and earlier snowmelt contribute to the dry conditions that produces more fires in the West. These factors may have contributed to the fires that burned up the old forests during the last decade.

Wildfires Result In Loss Of Forests Reserved By Northwest Forest Plan
Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:00:00 GMT