Forest Resilience Bonds Strengthen Communities Before Wildfire Strikes

When Alecia Weisman drove through a severe burn scar left by California’s Dixie Fire, which burned nearly 1 million acres in 2021, the scale of the destruction was difficult to comprehend.

“Every single tree is dead,” said Weisman, Watershed Science Director at the South Yuba River Citizens League. “It’s total forest loss.” Without the resources to restore landscapes after major fires, she said, there is a risk that some forests will never fully recover.

Historically, low-intensity fire was common in North American forests, ignited either naturally or by Indigenous People to manage lands. Such fire — usually carried out during cooler, wetter periods — helped prevent the buildup of dry, flammable vegetation. It also encouraged new growth and maintained healthy landscapes. But those traditions were steadily replaced by a practice of suppressing fire, which has contributed to overgrown forests primed for the kind of severe wildfires seen today. Rising temperatures and prolonged droughts are also adding to the severity.

In response, governments and communities have poured money into fighting wildfires and recovering from them. But often overlooked are the benefits of reducing the risk that wildfires become catastrophic in the first place. Doing so is cheaper and far less destructive than dealing with the aftermath.