Catastrophic wildfires pose a growing threat to Utahn’s homes and drinking water. A combination of drought, home building in our foothills, hazardous fuels from over 100 years of suppressing naturally occurring wildfires have caused a build-up of combustible trees and brush.
Home insurers are raising premiums or even dropping coverage for Utahns who live near the “wildland urban interface.” As a result, the state of Utah, U.S. Forest Service, local governments and other partners are working together to reduce fuel loads, thin overgrowth and decrease the risks that catastrophic wildfires pose to Utah’s communities and watersheds.
While thinning out overgrown trees and brush can’t stop wildfires from igniting, it can reduce the speed and intensity of wildfires, improve the efficiency of wildfire suppression and firefighter safety and give wildland firefighters more time to protect homes and infrastructure during a wildfire, reducing the chances that structures or lives will be lost. Continuing this work, in combination with diligent wildfire prevention, is essential to protect Utah’s communities, watersheds and may keep home insurance costs from spiraling out of control.
A great example of this critical work is an ongoing “Shared Stewardship Project,” in which the U.S. Forest Service, state of Utah, Salt Lake City Public Utilities and other partners are using a variety of methods to reduce fuel loads on roughly 3,000 acres in Parleys Canyon and Lambs Canyon. These efforts will help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire in Lambs Canyon and the Summit Park neighborhood if there is ever a repeat of the 2021 Parleys Canyon fire.
This project is just one example of the type that needs to happen around hundreds of communities and across tens of thousands of acres in Utah. These projects require money, dedication and, perhaps most importantly, your support.
Thinning trees and brush can leave unsightly marks on the landscape. Prescribed burns, one of the most effective means of reducing fuel loads, can temporarily increase air pollution. Thinning projects may require heavy equipment to spend several days parked on an otherwise pristine hillside. These short-term impacts are necessary to reduce Utah’s wildfire risks. While a thinning project may alter the view of the mountains from your backyard, the payoff will be worth it if it reduces the damage of future wildfires. Benjamin Franklin once advised Philadelphians considering fire risks to their city that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and his idea holds true in wildfire prevention today.
Unfortunately, there are some who oppose efforts to protect our forests and reduce wildfire risks, holding up projects that would have thinned out conifer trees, reduced the threat of catastrophic wildfires and restored fire-resistant native aspen groves. This leads to projects being withdrawn or halted. Utah will not be able to reduce the risks of catastrophic wildfires if this work is continually thwarted by shortsighted litigation. We must work together to find solutions to the real challenges facing Utah rather than opposing practical and sustainable solutions to get the work done on the landscapes.
The growing frequency of catastrophic wildfires in the West creates enormous challenges for Utah, compounded by the effects of climate and rapid population growth. But close collaboration from a variety of partners can make real, tangible changes to protect our homes, watersheds, recreational areas, air quality and indeed our lives. We invite you to support Utah’s efforts to protect your communities from wildfire.
Jamie Barnes serves as the Utah State Forester and Director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
Jamie Barnes serves as the Utah State Forester and Director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. Jamie holds a master’s of natural resource degree from the University of Idaho with an undergraduate degree in criminal justice from Weber State University.
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