By Dave Jones, Senior Director at The Nature Conservancy; and Kerstin Pfliegner, Germany Director of The Nature Conservancy
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As one of the world’s largest environmental organizations, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has developed and is implementing a nature-based approach to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk, known as “ecological forestry.”
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TNC’s decades of forest science experience indicate that ecological forestry represents the best solution to the challenges our forests currently face.
A combination of strategic thinning, carefully managed “prescribed burns” (replicating how nature reduced shrubs and understory trees through fire) and managed wildfires combine to mimic the role nature has historically played by promoting healthier, more resilient forests that are less vulnerable to large-scale wildfires.
Living with fire
As part of this work, TNC has also pioneered a Living with Fire strategy in North America, which includes:
- Shifting the policy and funding environments to support more proactive and adaptive approaches to fire management at federal, state, local and tribal levels.
- Building a movement of people that acknowledges the role of fire as an essential ecological and cultural process that has shaped the diversity of life on this planet for millennia.
- Building a diverse workforce at multiple scales.
- Working with communities through the Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network to increase their ability to withstand and recover from fires.
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