Advocating for Wildfire Resilience

How We Got Here

Fire has long been a part of the ecosystem and way of life here in the Mountain West. Aside from the natural fire regime that was in place prior to pioneer settlement, Indigenous communities in the region are known to have employed fire to improve farming and game habitat, among other practices. The use of prescribed fire today by Indigenous communities is known as cultural burning. 

As pioneers and trappers moved into the region, several things changed in the Wasatch forests. First, beaver (Castor canadensis) populations were decimated; without beaver dams, water began to move faster, and riparian areas began to shrink, allowing for neighboring conifer canopies to encroach into areas where they were historically disconnected. 

Soon after, logging and mining to support growth in the Salt Lake Valley caused unprecedented deforestation, with heavy impacts to the watershed and wildlife.

This led to the implementation of the Salt Lake Forest Reserve in 1904, and subsequent reforestation of the range via the Spruces Nursery. Around this same time, national policies and funding began prioritizing fire suppression; millions of dollars were sent towards well-equipped crews who were able to handle the biggest blazes. 

Despite well-intentioned efforts to protect human lives and property, the fires kept getting bigger. After 120 years of prioritizing fire suppression over proactive forest health, dense stands of timber now fill many canyons of the Wasatch Mountains, with years of deadfall and ladder fuel that can easily turn a low-intensity ground fire into a severe crown fire. This issue is exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change, drought, and insect outbreaks. As the fuel loads grow and temperatures rise, encroaching development pushes the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) and more people up the canyons, increasing both the chances of an ignition and the risks that come with it.

Supporting Comprehensive Watershed Restoration

Like riparian areas, stands of Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) serve as an incredibly effective natural firebreak, thanks to their low flammability and ability to retain soil moisture.

These deciduous trees are also some of the quickest to regenerate after a wildfire, even relying on fire disturbance to expand their footprint. The species plays a disproportionately important role in promoting biodiversity, sequestering carbon, limiting forest disturbances, and providing other ecosystem services. A lack of low-intensity fire has also allowed conifer trees to expand their range, encroaching into terrain that may have historically been Quaking Aspen stands and riparian areas. 

As one might imagine, wide swaths of forest with miles of connected canopy, high fuel loads, prolonged drought, and a warming climate is a recipe for disaster. In a perfect world, we would like to see the natural fire process mitigate this threat, and we are lucky to have designated Wilderness areas for this. Because most of the Wasatch range is not Wilderness, however, we recognize the need for comprehensive watershed restoration projects that employ low-intensity prescribed fire, riverscape restoration (beaver dam analogs), pile burning, and aspen regeneration to restore a healthy and safe ecosystem. These projects, when prioritizing forest health, employing best available science, avoiding new roads, limiting herbicides, and engaging the community, can drastically improve our chances at a healthy and safe Wasatch Range for future generations.

An example of a pile burn in upper Millcreek Canyon. This image, taken approximately 6 months after the treatment, demonstrates the reduction in “ladder fuel”, and subsequent aspen regeneration.

The Work Ahead

Adaptive wildfire resilience is not simply a management practice, it is a cultural shift that needs all of our voices at the table. It takes an understanding that this is both a climate and forest management issue. It requires resources and research so that land managers can make informed decisions. It relies on protections like the Roadless Rule to limit new ignition sources and encroaching development, while utilizing existing road networks for wildfire suppression. The work ahead is long, and requires a patient, collaborative approach. 

Save Our Canyons is committed to working with land managers, while also holding them to the highest possible standards for watershed restoration projects in the Wasatch. Historically, some land managers in the broader region have undertaken projects that prioritize timber industry profits over forest health. This has led to projects that overemphasize the “thinning” aspect, reducing fuel loads without addressing the systemic issues via aspen and riparian restoration. Projects of this nature can lead to a net reduction in carbon sequestration, and additional roads in wildlands. Luckily, our land managers in the Wasatch have, at present, prioritized comprehensive watershed health over industry profits, even with shifting winds in federal leadership. As long as that is the case, we will continue partnering with land managers to encourage effective projects and advocate for adaptive wildfire resilience in the Wasatch. 

We participate actively during the planning processes for these projects to ensure that best practices are used and that high standards are maintained. Recent projects have been completed in Parleys, Lambs, and Millcreek Canyons, with work beginning in Big Cottonwood Canyon in 2026 and Little Cottonwood in the following years. As we partner on these projects, we will always advocate for solutions that leave minimal impact on the land and neighboring communities. Click here to read our technical comment on the 2026 Big Cottonwood Canyon Watershed Restoration Project Environmental Assessment.