THE NEWS IS ONCE AGAIN REPORTING ON THE MASSIVE WILDFIRES THAT ARE OCCURRING IN THE WESTERN STATES. REPORTERS ARE ANXIOUS TO REPORT ON THE DANGERS, THE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY, THE SUPPRESSION ACTIONS AND WEATHER CONDITIONS. LITTLE TIME IS SPENT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF FORESTS TO OUR HUMAN ENVIRONMENT AND THE CURRENT CONDITIONS OF OUR REMAINING FORESTED LANDS. ENVIRONMENTALISTS AND MANAGERS DEBATE THE PROS AND CONS OF TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES AVAILABLE TO SALVAGE PRODUCTS FROM THE BURNED AREAS AND TO RE-ESTABLISH VEGETATIVE COVER ON THE IMPACTED AREA. SELDOM DOES THE DEBATE FOCUS ON HOW DEPENDENT OUR HUMAN ENVIRONMENT IS ON FORESTS AND HOW IMPORTANT INCREASING BIO-DIVERSITY IS IN REDUCING THE RISK OF FUTURE CATASTROPHIC EVENTS. OUR HUMAN ENVIRONMENT ( FORESTS) IS DYING AS A RESULT OF DEMANDS WE ARE PLACING ON THE FOREST COVERED LANDS. DEFORESTATION, POPULATION EXPANSION, LOSS OF BIO-DIVERSITY AND INADEQUATE MANAGEMENT IS DESTROYING THE VARY ENVIRONMENT WE REQUIRE TO SUSTAIN OUR SPECIES. DEMANDS ON THE FORESTS WILL NOT DECREASE IN THE FUTURE AS OUR WORLD POPULATION GROWS BY 78 MILLION PEOPLE EVERY YEAR. WE HAVE ALREADY LOST SLIGHTLY OVER HALF OF OUR ORIGINAL FORESTED ACRES TO AGRICULTURE AND URBAN SPRAWL. IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF CONSERVATION OR PRESERVATION ANYMORE, MANAGEMENT IS REQUIRED! MANAGEMENT MUST, HOWEVER, BECOME SENSITIVE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF NATURE AND OUR FORESTS. WE MUST LEARN TO RECOGNIZE THE INDIVIDUALITY OF FOREST COMMUNITIES AND UNDERSTAND THE DETAIL OF THE RELATIONSHIPS WHICH ARE CONSTANTLY AT WORK WITHIN THESE COMMUNITIES. WE MUST LEARN TO LIVE IN BALANCE WITH NATURE! NO LONGER CAN WE AFFORD TO DOMINATE AND MANIPULATE NATURE, WE MUST LEARN WE BELONG TO EARTH, EARTH DOES NOT BELONG TO US! OLD WAYS WE HAVE VALUED AND RELIED ON FOR YEARS MUST ADJUST TO PROVIDE FOR THE FUTURE. WE MUST BECOME WHAT WE WANT THE FUTURE TO BE!!
