Historical and contemporary policies and practices have resulted in over a century of fire exclusion across much of the US. Within designated wilderness areas, the exclusion of fire constitutes a fundamental and ubiquitous act of trammeling. Here we present a framework assessing the substantial, long-term, and negative effects of fire exclusion on the natural conditions of fire-adapted wilderness ecosystems, including unnatural fuel loads and anomalously severe fires, compounded by a warmer and drier climate. To untrammel more than a century of fire exclusion, human-ignited fire may be critical to restoring the natural character of fire-adapted wilderness landscapes while also supporting ecocultural restoration efforts sought by Indigenous peoples.

Presentations are Wednesdays at 6pm at the Third Street Center in Carbondale, CO, and Thursdays at 6pm at Pitkin County Library, in Aspen, CO.