{"id":361548,"date":"2025-01-11T15:41:52","date_gmt":"2025-01-11T14:41:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=361548"},"modified":"2025-01-11T15:50:01","modified_gmt":"2025-01-11T14:50:01","slug":"how-the-indigenous-practice-of-good-fire-can-help-our-forests-thrive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=361548","title":{"rendered":"How the Indigenous practice of \u2018good fire\u2019 can help our forests\u00a0thrive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Paul Homewood<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the University of California feels obliged to partly blame climate change for wildfires, they then devote the rest of the article to the real reasons:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Two hundred years ago, someone walking through Yosemite would not have seen the densely packed forests we now associate with the Sierra Nevada.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They would have passed through broad meadows and perhaps have even been drawn to comment, as the Spanish did, on how the land appeared like a \u201cwell-tended garden.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, that is exactly what Spaniards were seeing: Indigenous people native to Yosemite and other parts of the world for millennia have used fire to promote healthy forests. Today, the wisdom of that approach is seen as one of the keys to unraveling the deadly cycle of California wildfires.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s easy to assume that the impenetrable forests we associate with the mountains of California have always been there. Many of the popular images of Yosemite, for example, were taken decades after federal agencies moved to suppress fires in the region and removed native tribes.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But ecological records and oral Indigenous history alike describe how fire, sparked by lightning or planned by tribes, played a vital role in shaping California\u2019s landscape for thousands of years. A recent UC Berkeley study found that <\/em>forest biomass in the Klamath Mountains region used to be approximately half of what it is now<\/em><\/a>, and that burns carried out by the Karuk and Yurok tribes played a significant role in maintaining forest structure and biodiversity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask the Honorable Ron W. Goode, Tribal Chairman of the North Fork Mono Tribe, what\u2019s missing from the land, and he will tell you it\u2019s fire.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may be a contentious subject, especially given California\u2019s recent traumatic wildfires. \u201cBut I need to talk to you about fire,\u201d Goode says.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A side-by-side comparison of Yosemite in 1872 versus 2020. Tree cover in the area has greatly expanded.\u00a0Credit: University of California<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Read the full article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of the climatic impact, and we know from tree-line studies that California was much warmer than now in the Middle Ages, there is nothing we can do about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there is plenty we can about forestry management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Although the University of California feels obliged to partly blame climate change for wildfires, they then devote the rest of the article to the real reasons<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":361554,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818068,691832567,691832568],"class_list":{"0":"post-361548","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-california","9":"tag-forests","10":"tag-yosemite","12":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0Screenshot-2025-01-11-154050.png?fit=1279%2C723&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1w3q","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":284361,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=284361","url_meta":{"origin":361548,"position":0},"title":"Sacramento Bee Won\u2019t Attribute Mild Wildfire Season to Climate Change, Falsely Claims the Inverse","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"21\/10\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"JUNIPER HILLS, CA - SEPTEMBER 20: The remains of a burned home as the Bobcat fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest in Juniper Hills Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. Some houses and structures in the Juniper Hills area were lost in the Bobcat fire but most were saved.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"California\"","block_context":{"text":"California","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=california"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00gettyimages-1228629232_wide-5f78a22b329e26df66633f94d7f7bfa24d4512b5.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00gettyimages-1228629232_wide-5f78a22b329e26df66633f94d7f7bfa24d4512b5.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00gettyimages-1228629232_wide-5f78a22b329e26df66633f94d7f7bfa24d4512b5.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00gettyimages-1228629232_wide-5f78a22b329e26df66633f94d7f7bfa24d4512b5.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00gettyimages-1228629232_wide-5f78a22b329e26df66633f94d7f7bfa24d4512b5.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":225057,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=225057","url_meta":{"origin":361548,"position":1},"title":"Sacramento Bee, Your Wildfire Emissions Story Misses Large Decline in Wildfires, Amid Modest Warming","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"21\/10\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Climate change is not a significant factor.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/image-1023.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/image-1023.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/image-1023.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/image-1023.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/image-1023.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":414879,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=414879","url_meta":{"origin":361548,"position":2},"title":"Adam Carolla and Joe Rogan Are Right, Government Is to Blame for the Severity of L.A.\u2019s Fires, Not Climate Change","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"27\/11\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"On a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, comedian Adam Carolla and host, Joe Rogan, pointed out that Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) wrongly blamed climate change for wildfires in California, when, in fact, wildfires are natural and the severity of the one in Los Angeles was largely due\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"California\"","block_context":{"text":"California","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=california"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0Rogan-Carolla.png?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0Rogan-Carolla.png?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0Rogan-Carolla.png?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0Rogan-Carolla.png?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0Rogan-Carolla.png?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":225159,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=225159","url_meta":{"origin":361548,"position":3},"title":"LA Times reveals 2020 CA Wildfire CO2 Wiped Out 18 Years of the State\u2019s Emissions Reductions","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"22\/10\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"What a load of crap. \u00a0 \u00a0","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/image-1058.png?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/image-1058.png?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/image-1058.png?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/image-1058.png?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/image-1058.png?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":409613,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=409613","url_meta":{"origin":361548,"position":4},"title":"Rain causes wildfires \u2013 the climate change gospel\u00a0","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"22\/10\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Met Office is determined to convince us of the immediate need to cut greenhouse gas emissions. As part of its campaign, it is now reporting that the California wildfires in January were caused by severe heatwaves, droughts and, er, heavy rain. Yes, really.","rel":"","context":"In \"California fires\"","block_context":{"text":"California fires","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=california-fires"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQNyTT3Nr0m6_WOQQnJbCa0GFQKWqd_ymU6L9zc5QOIcFfITLCY-Qw7DrggTbDGJpi_UysGHG8TO9DHxXf04yj69trhkOq1YkRCm6EfWIzIhLRFDu8oEcA2FmsHNBOI.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQNyTT3Nr0m6_WOQQnJbCa0GFQKWqd_ymU6L9zc5QOIcFfITLCY-Qw7DrggTbDGJpi_UysGHG8TO9DHxXf04yj69trhkOq1YkRCm6EfWIzIhLRFDu8oEcA2FmsHNBOI.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQNyTT3Nr0m6_WOQQnJbCa0GFQKWqd_ymU6L9zc5QOIcFfITLCY-Qw7DrggTbDGJpi_UysGHG8TO9DHxXf04yj69trhkOq1YkRCm6EfWIzIhLRFDu8oEcA2FmsHNBOI.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQNyTT3Nr0m6_WOQQnJbCa0GFQKWqd_ymU6L9zc5QOIcFfITLCY-Qw7DrggTbDGJpi_UysGHG8TO9DHxXf04yj69trhkOq1YkRCm6EfWIzIhLRFDu8oEcA2FmsHNBOI.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":261853,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=261853","url_meta":{"origin":361548,"position":5},"title":"You are being conned: Data, studies & UN IPCC all reveal Canadian fires not due to \u2018climate change\u2019 \u2013 \u2018There has been a significant & continuing decline in the number of fires\u2019","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/06\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The media and climate activists are again weaponizing wildfires and linking them to climate change. Better forest management, cracking down on arson, and improved fire impression practices are what is needed, not the Green New Deal.","rel":"","context":"In \"Canada\"","block_context":{"text":"Canada","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=canada"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/03000.jpeg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/03000.jpeg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/03000.jpeg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/03000.jpeg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/03000.jpeg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=361548"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361548\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":361555,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361548\/revisions\/361555"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/361554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=361548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=361548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=361548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}