Federal Policy on Controlled Burns

With the rhetoric about forest fires and forest health raging nearly as hot as this summer’s fire season, I was interested to read your Sept. 23 editorial, “Forest Fire as a Friend.” There is a growing recognition among the scientific community and public land managers that fire has a critical role to play in the health of our public lands. And, contrary to an assertion in your editorial, the Clinton administration has been a leader in encouraging the controlled reintroduction of fire into our natural ecosystems.

In fact, last year, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and I officially endorsed a set of principles, policies and recommendations from a diverse team put together to take a broad look at federal wild-land firefighting policies. One of the key recommendations from the team was to recognize that fire is a critical, natural process and must be reintroduced into ecosystems.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service today is successfully using fire as a management tool and plans to use fire to treat up to 3.5 million acres a year by 2005. The successful use of fire will help reduce the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires and ensure the protection of lives and property and the health of our ecosystems.

DAN GLICKMAN

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

Washington