Even though the start of summer is more than a week away, over 400 wildfires are already burning across Canada, emitting smoke that has polluted streets, parks, and neighborhoods a thousand miles away. Americans from Boston to Atlanta have suffered the effects of tiny particulate matter inflaming their lungs, getting a taste of what western state residents deal with nearly every wildfire season.
The fires spilling smoke all the way down the East Coast highlight how backward policies delay or even prevent forest restoration work that would cut wildfire risk. The two main methods, controlled burning and mechanical thinning, make forests resilient by removing fuel in methodical, deliberate ways before it goes up in smoke in much more intense wildfires. But pollution standards and excessive red tape perversely discourage these beneficial projects. Add in potential litigation from environmental groups, and fire-prone areas can be left at risk for years while projects linger in limbo.
