Dear HCN:
Your story about the
Forest Service’s demonization of fire (HCN, 3/6/95) was a
fascinating account but failed to mention the well-documented but
little publicized role of domestic livestock in the suppression of
fire throughout the West.
By removing grasses,
especially in ponderosa pine forests, livestock have removed the
fine fuels that enable fires. Less fire has allowed dense
“dog-hair” stands of ponderosa to establish in places they couldn’t
under a natural ecological regime. The older yellow-belly pine
forest, which could survive grass fire, has been altered
forever.
But all this did not happen by accident.
In the early days of the Forest Service, many of the proponents of
ranching argued that livestock would lend a helping hand in the
agency’s battle against fire. No doubt, that rationale was a
significant factor in obtaining the support of those foresters who
questioned the appropriateness of ranching on the national forests.
Today, some employees of the Forest Service and BLM, and many
ranchers, still argue against a reduction of grazing on public
lands strictly on the premise that heavy grazing will help suppress
fires.
I hope future stories on the topic of
fire suppression note that Bessie the Cow and Smokey the Bear have
long been in bed together in the demonization of
fire.
John
Horning
Santa Fe, New Mexico
John
Horning works with the environmental group, Forest
Guardians.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Bessie and Smokey are sweethearts.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
