Will logging more in healthy forests reduce wildfire risk?

Given the unprecedented wildfires dominating headlines, including the recent tragedy in Jasper, Alberta, it’s tempting to believe we should attack the problem by charging into Canada’s forests with a phalanx of heavy machinery to “take down” the apparent enemy: old forests. However, decades of clearcut logging, conifer planting, and extensive fire suppression have more likely exacerbated wildfire risk to communities than diminished it. A fundamental rethink of our relationship to forests and wildfires is needed.