Across North America and beyond, policies promoting “active forest management” have taken center stage in wildfire response and forest planning. The term typically refers to mechanical thinning, prescribed burning, and other interventions meant to reduce fuels and restore ecological balance.
But new research published in The Revelator by Wild Heritage Chief Scientist Dominick A. DellaSala, along with esteemed forest ecologists David Lindenmayer and Diana Six, highlights serious concerns about the ecological consequences of these practices — especially when applied broadly and without sufficient safeguards.
A Growing Footprint, A Growing Risk
In many fire-prone regions, active management has expanded significantly — often driven by timber economics, shifting political priorities, and climate-related urgency. But the ecological trade-offs are rarely discussed in full.
DellaSala and colleagues draw from case studies across three continents to show how large-scale thinning, repeated burning, and post-disturbance logging can:
Remove fire-resistant trees and essential wildlife habitat
Degrade soils and disrupt regeneration
Increase fire severity by drying out forests and unraveling natural canopy structure
Lead to ecosystem conversion, particularly in drier or already stressed landscapes
These impacts are most severe in high conservation value forests — including old growth, post-fire snag forests, and intact watersheds — where biodiversity, carbon storage, and resilience are highest.
Not All Interventions Are Equal
The authors are clear: not all management is harmful. Invasive species removal, road decommissioning, and culvert upgrades are examples of actions that can support forest integrity when thoughtfully applied.
But when commercial logging or aggressive thinning is conducted under the guise of restoration — especially in ecologically intact areas — the result may be long-term ecosystem degradation rather than recovery.
A Precautionary Approach
The article calls for a precautionary, science-driven approach to forest management. Recommendations include:
Expanding protected areas as reference baselines for restoration
Avoiding high-impact practices in sensitive or recovering forests
Improving monitoring of disturbance impacts over time
Centering ecological integrity in both planning and policy
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Full article in The Revelator: Active Management Harms Forests