Number: 2000-05
WHEREAS, fire was used by Native Americans to influence particular forest ecosystems; and
WHEREAS, settlement, development and a variety of land-management practices, including fire prevention and suppression, have dramatically altered or eliminated historic fire regimes; and
WHEREAS, prevention and suppression of fire result in the accumulation of fuel, which can result in large, intense wildfires that may destroy wildlife habitat and cause property damage; and
WHEREAS, the artificial lack of fire has often adversely affected ecological processes and the historic distribution and abundance of wildlife; and
WHEREAS, prescribed burning is defined as fire applied by people, in a skillful, scientific and cautious manner under specified environmental conditions to achieve specific ecologically beneficial results; and
WHEREAS, prescribed burning benefits to wildlife have been well-documented in scientific research and empirical application; and
WHEREAS, the benefits and necessity of prescribed burning have been recognized by numerous regional and national conservation organizations, natural resource agencies, and forest resource management entities; and
WHEREAS, prescribed burning opportunities have been reduced due to errors in some applications of prescribed burns which have resulted in increased concern for liability and misinformed and uninformed public opinion;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in its Annual Meeting assembled March 16-18, 2000, in Seattle, Washington, recognizes the importance of the continued responsible use of prescribed burning as one of many tools to enhance ecosystem management; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT prescribed burning should reduce the risk of destructive wildfires while restoring essential ecological processes and wildlife habitat; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation recommends that state and federal natural resource and regulatory agencies and conservation and environmental organizations recognize the importance of prescribed burning, initiate programs to educate the general public to the benefits of prescribed burning, and encourage the proper use of prescribed burning.