SIC RESOURCES: FIRE RESILIENCE AND AWARENESS

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Fire Resilience and Awareness

The intent of Objective 10 — Fire Resilience and Awareness – is for Certified Organizations to limit the susceptibility of forests to undesirable impacts of wildfire and to raise community awareness of wildfire benefits, risks, and minimization measures.
Undesirable impacts of wildfire are those that threaten public safety, human health, property, carbon emissions, water quality and quantity, air quality, and species habitat, or have the capacity to destroy forests on a scale that significantly impacts the inherent values of these forests.

The link between wildfires and climate is well-documented. The planet is warming, and higher temperatures lead to drier conditions, with many regions experiencing severe drought, resulting in more dead trees and debris that significantly increase the risk of undesirable impacts of wildfire. Indicator 1.1.4 already requires Certified Organizations, where applicable, to model the negative impacts of climate change (i.e., prolonged drought, increased incidence of disease or pests) in their long-term sustainable harvest levels.

However, sustainable forest management can also reduce the risk of these undesirable impacts of wildfire. Appropriate management must be done within the context of fire ecology and fire regime. Doing so increases overall forest resiliency, including reducing fuel loads and limiting invasive species, both of which can decrease the likelihood of damage from catastrophic fire.