As the largest wildfire in Colorado history devoured more than 137,000 acres of forestland, Mike Storey’s concern for the wildlife and land quickly grew into concern for his family and neighbors. As president of the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Colorado State Chapter, Storey had a long history of working to improve natural areas for wild turkeys and other animals that thrive there. But as the rampaging wildfire served to destroy the habitat Storey and others like him had worked to protect, it also threatened their own homes.
Fortunately for Storey, the Hayman Wildfire that burned 133 houses and an additional 466 outbuildings was extinguished before reaching his home. When the flames were finally brought under control, they were a mere eight miles away.
“It got way too close, but it wasn’t as close to me as some people,” Storey said. “We were very lucky.”
Unfortunately, tales like Storey’s and his Colorado neighbors were not uncommon last year. According to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, more than 88,000 wildfires turned nearly 7 million acres and 815 homes and buildings to ash across the nation in 2002. The real tragedy is that much of this could have been avoided, and with the Healthy Forest Initiative in full swing, forests across the U.S. are back on their way to healthy conditions.
“A forest will not manage itself, and today we have forests that are too old and thick for wildlife,” said Dr. James Earl Kennamer, NWTF senior vice-president for Conservation Programs. “Future generations will also depend on the timber industry for jobs and products. For these reasons and for human safety, the NWTF fully supports the Healthy Forest Initiative.”
The Initiative seeks to restore millions of acres of forests and rangelands through the thinning of cluttered stands of timber and the removal of fire fuels through prescribed burning. These and other management techniques will also help control invasive insects and the threats posed by nonnative plants. The result will be healthier forests, which provide better habitat for wildlife and more safety and enjoyment for people.
Examples of how these management techniques can improve natural areas for wildlife while also reducing the risk of large wildfires are making headlines and providing clear evidence of the continued need to manage our forests.
South Carolina national forest benefits from Healthy Forest Initiative
火不是唯一的威胁美国的森林。This natural resource has natural enemies of all shapes, forms and sizes. At the Long Cane Ranger District, a part of Sumter National Forest located near Edgefield, S.C., and the NWTF’s Wild Turkey Center, the threat posed to our forests by Southern Pine Beetles is just one of the challenges biologists are facing these days.
There, biologists are battling this threat through an ongoing cost-share project between the NWTF and the U.S. Forest Service in South Carolina to control damage caused by the beetle, as well as using prescribed burning to control wildfires and encourage plant growth. Planting and rehabilitation of fields, utility right-of-ways, savannah restoration and other habitat improvement projects are also on the agenda.
“We are having good success in habitat improvement,” said Long Cane District Ranger Beth LeMaster. “If you talk to the hunters in the area, they are saying they like seeing the wildlife openings and all the work that is being done. The Healthy Forest Initiative has opened the door for more sound, accepted wildlife habitat improvement.”
The Healthy Forest Initiative’s emphasis has not only been on employing sound management practices, but also reduces the red tape and legal hurdles public and private forest managers have to go through to do their jobs. With this Initiative, our nation’s forests are again on their way to becoming the model for providing ideal habitat for wildlife and plants, much to the joy of hunters like NWTF Chapter President Mike Storey, campers and anybody else who truly cares about the outdoors.
For more information on habit improvement or the Healthy Forest Initiative, check out NWTF online atwww.nwtf.orgor the U.S. Forest Service atwww.fs.fed.us/.
