" The forest's natural state is being able to survive fires. Since European settlers came in the 1800's fire was eliminated almost completely. In a natural ecosystem, fire intervals were shorter eliminating the accumulation of ladder fuels that we see today. For over 150 years there has been an aggressive attack against fire, which is the worst thing you can do do an ecosystem that depends on fire to be healthy. That is why we see so many catastrophic wildfires. Fire intervals are so long which allows fuels to build up. It is unfortunate that people have lost their lives and property, but at least the ecosystem gets to reset and start anew. Fire is needed in the forests. It eliminates pests and promotes diversity in the forests. With shorter fire intervals fires would be less intense with a lower probability of crown fires. Prescribed burning is a start but the Western US has millions of acres that need it. Fire fighting needs to be changed to fire managing. "

" 9:13 pm- What is the "Natural state" if humans have been manipulating the land since they first appeared on this continent? Fire is necessary, but not these giant canopy fires that burn green stands as well as dead ones. Remember Opal Creek? It's charcoal now. "

" In order for the forests to return to a healthy state, fire needs to be reintroduced to the ecosystem. The forests have evolved because of the presence of fire. Now that fire is no longer part of the ecosystem, things are growing out of control. Fires are costing more money because personal property are being threatened. Its just like the gulf coast, people should be building houses on barrier islands. So Californians and other land owners shouldn't be building houses in hillsides and ravines where natural combustible fuels are prevalent. So in conclusion, if you want your property in the wilderness, do so at your own risk. "

" WitsEnd & Craziness...Me and the majority of people agree with your statements 100%. The trouble is, a small minority like "wrote on" are running (or more like ruining) our country. "

" Some want to let "all lands" burn. Would you say the same if it was your property, your childrens future, your grandchildrens inheritance, or your home? Statements like that are insane! Oh wait, you are not the one who is impacted by such idiocy. I am tired of seeing millions of tax payer dollars going to fire fighting, and would rather see those dollars go to managing our forests and putting dollars into the economy for the long-term. I am tired of seeing millions of tax payer doIlars being used to "restore" the forests after wild fires. I am tired of watching private landowners lose their personal property and the value of that property to fires coming off of federal forests. The forests are unhelathy, no one is disputing that point, but to restore them to a healthy state needs to occur with thoughtful management not "let burn"! "

" I think we should let all land burn and let it return to its historical natural state. The majority of all managed forests are are unhealthy in relation to the forest's history. The forests around our region need fire to survive. Fire eliminates pests, promotes diversification, and encourages natural habitats for natural species. I believe we are on the right track in selective forest harvesting on our private lands, and using the "let it burn" policy in our federal forests. If the forests were healthy in the first place there wouldn't be any problems with the "let it burn" policy. Its just there has been mismanagement in our forests for over a century and we can't catch up with the financial resources we have. "

" As a federal fire management officer this is about the only place that we can respond or voice our opinion without reprisal. Our hands are tied for any pro-active fuels management in face of the environmental groups. What we are doing(fuels management) is a drop in the bucket and truth be known isn’t buying the public much. Time after time I go to large fires that burn on both private and federal lands. The private industries are logging while we are still in the mo-up stage. On federal lands, those logs will rot 90% of the time due to environmental laws, only to add to the fuel loading of that area for the next fire. The public needs to support active fuels management that includes logging and prescribe fires. Sure there are some smoke related issues but the benefit way outweighs the damage caused by a wildfire. We rarely receive smoke complaints from the public during a large fire event, but I will tell you as soon as someone see’s just a little bit of smoke the phones light up with complaints if they know we are conducting a prescribe fire. It’s your land, so you can collectively support the federal land management agencies or you can sit back and watch it go to waste. "