The Ecological Importance of Mixed Intensity Fires
Presented by Chad Hanson
Chad Hanson will speak on The Ecological Importance of Mixed Intensity Fires at the August 7 meeting of the San Gorgonio Chapter. The meeting starts at 7:30 p. m. at the San Bernardino County Museum, 2014 Orange Tree Lane, Redlands.
Chad was elected this year to a three-year term on the Sierra Club national Board of Directors, receiving the highest number of votes among the five who were elected. He has a Ph.D. in ecology from UC Davis and is a research ecologist with the John Muir Project, based in Big Bear City. He previously served two terms on the Sierra Club Board from 1997 to 2003.
Chad’s presentation will focus on three main areas. First, in his words, “The surprising and seemingly counter-intuitive world of forest fires, including the many wildlife species that depend upon ‘snag forest habitat’ created by natural processes like fire, as well as natural postfire forest regeneration.”
Next, he will talk about the key role of forest protection in climate change mitigation. Finally, he will discuss how communities can safely coexist with wildland fires, and why current fire management policies need to change, focusing on protecting communities rather than on backcountry fire suppression and logging projects.
Chad took the accompanying photographs west of Yosemite in the area burned in the Rim Fire. He says, “They show the abundant natural forest regeneration that is occurring even in the large high intensity fire patches.”
