How Controlled Burns Improve Forestry

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Thousands upon thousands of acres are lost in forest fires every year. We always hear about the dramatic losses caused by forest fires and are often concerned by them. There are so many horrible effects from fires and most of them affect so many people. Studies have shown that out of all of the different methods to decrease fire damage, prescribed burns are the most affective. Many people would argue that they are not as affective because they cause so many health problems. Although that is a very important view and may seem valid, those health issues are not as extreme as one might think. People should look at the majority of the benefits form prescribed burns and they will see how affective and important they are. Prevention is the key to society these days and is definitely an important factor in saving lives. If more lives can be saved as well as land and wildlife, prescribed burns may be the better way to go about forest fires. Although, prescribed burns are better for the environment in order to prevent drastic forest fires, severe damage to timber and extreme death of wildlife; some people feel it affects the health of a firefighter too much and it causes too many long term effects.

It is so sad to see the horror of forest fires and how they corrupt our beautiful land. So much damage comes out of what started so small. At least 603 square miles of land were burned in the early stages of the Arizona fire only a couple of years ago (BBC 2). In a Colorado fire 2.3 million acres had been burned (BBC 3). That land could have been saved if the use of prescribed burns had been in the area.

Mr. McGann from the forestry service told reporters that pine forests had become choked with underbr...

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...News. “Arizona blazes become sea of fire.” BBC. 24, October 2012:

Grelen, Harold E. May Burns Stimulate Growth of Longleaf Pine Seedlings. New Orleans: Southern Forest Experiment Station, 1978.

Mitchell, Robert. Summary Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Rio Grande National Forest: Forest Service, 2009.

Ower, Carolyn Louise. Changes in ponderosa pine seedling growth and soil nitrogen following prescribed burning and manual removal of the forest floor. Flagstaff: Northern Arizona University, 2005.

Tobin, Mitch. “Wildlife refuge controlled burn opens smoothly.” Arizona Daily Star. 24, October 2011:

Webb, James B. Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Rio Grande National Forest: Forest Service, 2009.

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