<div dir="ltr"><div>Hi: For those who love and appreciate science-based managed of America's public lands (as opposed to politically-based management) I'd highly encourage you to share this most recent scientific study showing that insect and disease outbreaks in our forests actually reduce wildfire severity with Montana's elected officials. <br><br>As you are no doubt aware, both Republican and Democratic politicians in Montana are spreading false information and hysteria concerning insects, disease and wildfire. Furthermore, Senator Tester, Senator Daines and Rep Zinke are looking to dramatically increase public lands logging through a rider that would limit public input and limit environmental analysis of National Forest logging project.<br><br>And don't forget that in 2014 Gov Steve Bullock used "beetle mania" to nominate 5 million acres of National Forests in Montana for 'fast-track' logging 'categorically excluded from the requirements of NEPA' through a secret, no public notice, no public input process in which he hand-picked 7 people that meet on the phone a few times to come up with 5 million acres available for fast-track logging.<br><br>Thanks for those who care enough about our National Forests to TAKE ACTION. </div><div><br></div><div>- Matthew Koehler, WildWest Institute</div><div><br></div><div>-----------</div><div><br></div>Sen Tester: <a href="https://www.tester.senate.gov/?p=email_senator">https://www.tester.senate.gov/?p=email_senator</a><div><br></div><div>Sen Daines: <a href="https://www.daines.senate.gov/connect/email-steve">https://www.daines.senate.gov/connect/email-steve</a></div><div><br></div><div>Rep Zinke: <a href="https://zinke.house.gov/contact/email">https://zinke.house.gov/contact/email</a><br><br>Governor Bullock: <a href="https://governor.mt.gov/Home/Contact">https://governor.mt.gov/Home/Contact</a><br><div class="gmail_extra"><br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Apr 29, 2016 at 8:21 AM, Lance Olsen via Missoula-Community-News <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:missoula-community-news@bigskynet.org" target="_blank">missoula-community-news@bigskynet.org</a>></span> wrote:</div><div class="gmail_quote"><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><u></u>
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<div><font face="Lucida Grande">UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT PUBLIC
RELEASE: 28-APR-2016<br>
Insect outbreaks reduce wildfire severity</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><i>Pine beetle, budworm outbreaks
dampen forest fire impacts</i></font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
<br>
</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande">Forest scientists have found an
unexpected 'silver lining' to the insect outbreaks that have ravaged
millions of trees across western North America.</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
While insect outbreaks leave trees looking like matchsticks, a new
University of Vermont-led study finds these hungry critters
significantly reduce wildfire severity.</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
The findings contrast sharply with popular attitudes - and some U.S.
forest policies - which connect tree-eating insects with increased
wildfire activity.</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
"This is surprising," says UVM forest scientist Garrett
Meigs, lead author of the study. "Forest fires and insect
outbreaks have increased in recent decades, causing some people to
link the two in their minds."</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
"Our findings clearly show that insect outbreaks can reduce burn
severity," says Meigs, a researcher at UVM's Gund Institute and
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. "So there
is a connection, but just not the way most people
thought."</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande">The study, by scientists at UVM and
Oregon State University, is published in the journal<i> Environmental
Research Letters</i>.<b> OPEN ACCESS</b></font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><b><<<a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/11/4/045" target="_blank">http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/11/4/045</a><span></span>008>></b></font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
LARGEST STUDY OF ITS KIND<br>
Analyzing 81 fires over 25 years, the study is the largest to date on
forest fire severity following insect outbreaks. Researchers focused
on sites in Oregon and Washington State with past outbreaks by the
mountain pine beetle or western spruce budworm, two of North America's
most destructive insects.</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
Wildfires in areas that experienced greater insect damage in the past
burned with significantly less severity, regardless of fire size,
season or drought conditions. The researchers measured burn severity -
or vegetation loss - using satellite imagery taken before and after
each fire.</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
"There is huge concern that insect outbreaks and forest fires
will continue to increase with climate change," says UVM forest
ecology professor Bill Keeton, a study co-author. "These threats
remain significant, but our study suggests that major insect
outbreaks, contrary to current thinking, can dampen future fire
impacts - and we can use that knowledge to improve forest
management."</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
NATURAL THINNING EFFECT<br>
The researchers say the findings can be explained by "forest
thinning," which occurs when insects kill some trees and leave
others to survive. This lowers forest density, which reduces the
amount of fuel available for subsequent fires.</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
The study builds on previous research by Meigs and colleagues, which
found that insect outbreaks in the Pacific Northwest did not increase
the likelihood of wildfires.</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
FOREST POLICY APPLICATIONS<br>
The results give new insights to communities and forest agencies
dealing with the effects of insect outbreaks on forestry, tourism and
recreation.</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
For example, the 2014 U.S. Farm Bill included fuel reduction
provisions for forests with insects and diseases. The study suggests
that forest managers may be able to factor in the natural
"thinning effects" of insects into these
efforts.</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
And while both insects reduced fire severity, each critter exhibited
unique patterns that require different approaches by forest
agencies.</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
"These findings will help forest managers to better prioritize
restoration efforts designed to reduce fire risks," says Keeton,
chair of UVM's Forestry Program.<br></font></div></div></blockquote><div> </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div><div><font face="Lucida Grande">
TREASURE TROVE OF DATA</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
While previous studies explored a handful of fires for shorter
periods, recently released satellite imagery and data enabled the
researchers to analyze a much greater number of fires over longer
periods. The team used advanced spatial statistical analyses to
decipher insect-fire interactions in areas with past outbreaks of
these two key insects.</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
"Together, these studies tell us that not only can insects reduce
forest fire likelihood - they also reduce potential forest fire
impacts," says Meigs, summarizing his two recent papers on fire
risk and severity.</font></div>
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<div><font face="Verdana" color="#000000">"We can reduce our
risks by disincentivizing housing development in fire-prone areas,
better managing public land and rethinking the effectiveness of our
current firefighting approach."</font></div>
<div><font face="Bookman Old Style" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande" color="#000000"><b>Incorporating
Anthropogenic Influences into Fire Probability Models: Effects of
Human Activity and Climate Change on Fire Activity in
California</b></font><font face="Verdana" color="#000000"><b><br>
</b>Michael L. Mann, Enric Batllori, Max A. Moritz, Eric K. Waller,
Peter Berck, Alan L. Flint, Lorraine E. Flint, Emmalee
Dolfi</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" color="#000000">Research Article | published
28 Apr 2016 | PLOS ONE<b> (open access)</b></font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" color="#000000"><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0153589" target="_blank">http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0153589</a></font><br>
<font face="Bookman Old Style" color="#000000"></font></div>
</font></span></div>
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