The following letter was written by a group of more than 40 fire and forest scientists led by The University of New Mexico’s Matt Hurteau, a professor in the Department of Biology. It addresses concerns with a recent decision over new directives aimed at requiring Planning Level 2 and Regional Forester approval for prescribed burns. The blanket national policy is focused on reducing short-term risks but does not account for the fact that national forests and grasslands in the United States cover a large geographic area that experiences a wide variety of climatic conditions.

Read the letter here.