Study: Wildfires Save Majestic Trees

Aug. 5 -- Minnesota's state tree, the red pine, stands in spectacular clusters reaching up to 80 feet into the sky.

But new research says the future of these majestic pines is at risk due to decades of improperly trying to protect them. As in many national forests across the country, people have been suppressing the natural occurrence of wildfire in northeastern Minnesota's Superior National Forest.

It's now known the red pine, which can live for up to 250 years, relies on fires to clear the forest floor and allow plenty of light and soil nutrients to nourish its seedlings. A study released today predicts the red pines in Minnesota's national forest — among the last remaining natural groves in the country — will disappear unless fire is reintroduced into the region.

Big Fires Spark Fiery Debate

Managing wildfires has become a contentious issue that has pitted environmental groups against those who feel regulations have suppressed efforts to thin forests. Clashes have become especially sharp during this year's unusually intense wildfire season. So far an estimated 53,070 fires have scorched 4.3 million acres of forest land this year, more than double the 10-year average, according to U.S. Forest Service statistics.

The wildfires have been more intense and tougher to suppress due to the fact that forest fuels — underbrush and fallen trees — have built up over a century of fire suppression.

Last month, Californians feared giant sequoia trees would be lost as the so-called McNalley fire leaped dangerously close to the Sequoia National Forest. Firefighters successfully fended off the flames from the ancient forest.

Matt Mathes of the Forest Service says it's unlikely that sequoias, which can live more than 3,200 years, could survive massive wildfires. Like red pines, sequoias are designed to thrive when periodic, small ground wildfires sweep through a forest. But the buildup of fuels in U.S. forests now produce large wildfires that could jump higher on the giant trees where they are more susceptible to damage.