PERC research fellow Holly Fretwell sits down with John Batchelor of The John Batchelor Show to discuss the need for forest restoration on federal forest lands. Decades of fire suppression have created a build-up of fuel on federally managed lands, meaning wildfires have more fuel to consume and therefore burn hotter and longer. To foster resilient forests with healthy fire cycles, forest restoration projects must be prioritized. At the current pace, it would take decades for the Forest Service alone to treat the areas at risk of catastrophic wildfire. Instead, we should reduce regulatory barriers and unleash the power of the private sector to help get these needed projects done.
