Opportunities abound for affordable mechanical fuels treatment in dry mixed-conifer forests

The dry mixed-conifer forests that cover millions of acres in 12 western states experience low- to mixed-severity fire regimes; are typically heterogeneous in species composition, forest structure, and fuel dynamics; and grow quickly enough to generate concern about fuel treatment longevity. Yet compared to stands of pure ponderosa pine, there has been little research on fuel treatment effectiveness and economics in these forests.