University of Montana ecologists: Forest Service should use wildfires to thin, restore forests

Even though western Montana emerged from the 2018 wildfire season relatively unscathed, smoky summers and record-breaking fires will be the norm in a future driven by climate change, a pair of University of Montana fire ecologists emphasized Wednesday.

As Montanans enjoyed the clear, blue skies of early fall, UM’s Cathy Whitlock and Philip Higuera joined Dave Dittloff, National Wildlife Federation Conservation Partnerships director, in a conversation about the perceptions and realities of wildfire in the West.

As paleo-ecologists, Whitlock and Higuera study past wildfires to better understand fire behavior. But what they see is that wildfires today are very different because of the Earth’s changing climate.

By Laura Lundquist

https://www.missoulacurrent.com/outdoors/2018/09/wildfires-climate-change-montana/