Source: SFGate
“The Trump administration wants to increase logging in forests to simultaneously boost timber production and reduce wildfire risk. Yet, a new study shows that industrial private land managed by timber companies is nearly 1.5 times more likely to experience high-severity wildfires compared with public land. Many timber companies manage land in a way that maximizes profits while also providing a sustainable source of wood, according to the study’s authors. That tends to look like clear-cutting an area, then replanting trees in a dense yet methodical grid. As trees grow back, they’re the same age and size. The forest takes on a homogenous look, with undergrowth that easily connects to the canopy. That’s a recipe for high-severity wildfire, said Jacob Levine, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Utah and the study’s lead author.” (08/27/25)