Hurteau: I AM MATTHEW HURTEAU, A PROFESSOR IN THE  BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT AT UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO.

AS AN ECOLOGIST I CAN SHARE WITH YOU A VARIETY OF FACTS.

ABOUT HOW CLIMATE CHANGE HAS CAUSED THE FIRE SEASON LENGTH TO  DOUBLE OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS IN THE SOUTHWEST.

OR THAT THE AREA BURNED BY TREE KILLING WILDFIRES INCREASED  DRAMATICALLY BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN EXCLUDING FIRE FROM OUR  LANDSCAPES.

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT DOES A GOOD JOB CAPTURING HOW I FEEL  ABOUT THE CHALLENGES WE FACE IN THE SOUTHWEST.

INSTEAD, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE PAST TWO FIRE SEASONS WHICH  HAVE BEEN ESPECIALLY TOUGH FOR ME AND MY COLLEAGUES.

LAST YEAR A LANDSCAPE THAT I WORKED IN FOR 19 YEARS BURNED IN  THE CREEK FIRE IN CALIFORNIA.

WHEN I DROVE INTO WHAT WAS A  FOREST OF LARGE BEAUTIFUL TREES THIS SUMMER ON MY WAY TO COLLECT  DATA, I FELT LIKE A FAILURE.

AND I FELT A GREAT SENSE OF  LOSS.

THE LOSS COMES FROM THE FACT  THAT I LOVE HANGING OUT IN OLD FORESTS AND I LOVE BIG TREES.

THOSE ARE TWO THINGS THE CREEK FIRE LANDSCAPE WON'T OFF HAVE  AGAIN OVER MY LIFETIME, IF AT ALL.

A SENSE OF FAILURE COMES FROM THE FACT THAT WE IN THE FOREST  AND FIRE SCIENCE RESEARCH COMMUNITY KNOW HOW TO PREVENT  THIS FROM HAPPENING.

WE HAVE DECADES OF RESEARCH,  THAT DEMONSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RIGHT KIND OF FIRE IN  THESE ECOSYSTEMS.

HERE IN NEW MEXICO, WE HAVE BEEN  PRETTY LUCKY THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS BUT THAT LUCK WON'T LAST.

AS TEMPERATURE CONTINUES TO CLIMB, THE ATMOSPHERE ACTS LIKE  A GIANT SPONGE SUCKING MOISTURE OUT OF THE FOREST.

IF ANYONE WHO EVER BUILT A CAMPFIRE KNOWS, DRY WOOD BURNS  FAR EASIER THAN WET WOOD.

CLIMATE CHANGE IS COMPOUNDING  THE FACT THAT BY EXCLUDING FIRE FROM OUR FORESTS FOR OVER 100  YEARS, THERE IS WAY MORE FUEL TO BURN THAN THERE SHOULD BE.

WHILE WE IN NEW MEXICO NEED TO DO OUR PART TO SLOW HOW QUICKLY  THE CLIMATE IS CHANGING.

CLIMATE CHANGE IS A LARGER  PROBLEM THAN WE CAN SOLVE LOCALLY.

WHAT WE CAN CHANGE LOCALLY IS THE EFFECT THAT CLIMATE CHANGE  AND WILDFIRES HAVE ON FORESTS.

WE CAN RESTORE THE RIGHT KIND OF  FIRE.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WILL TELL  YOU THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO PUT OUT FIRES AND THOSE THAT WILL  TELL YOU THAT BIG HOT FIRES WILL CORRECT THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE  CREATED.

NEITHER ARE CORRECT.

NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY WE SPEND, WE ARE NEVER GOING TO  STOP ALL WILDFIRES, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT BURN UNDER EXTREME  CONDITIONS.

BUT FIRE IS BOTH A THREAT AND  THE ANSWER.

PRESCRIBED BURNING AND MANAGING  LIGHTNING CAUSED FIRES ARE THE TWO PRIMARY TOOLS WE HAVE FOR  CHANGING RISKS WE FACE FROM LARGE FAST MOVING WILDFIRE.

BY BRINGING BACK THE RIGHT KIND OF FIRE, WE REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF  FUEL IN THE FOREST AND JUST LIKE IN A CAMPFIRE, LESS FUEL MEANS  LESS EXTREME WILDFIRES.

AS NEW MEXICANS, WE CAN SUPPORT  LAND MANAGERS IN THEIR EFFORTS TO RESTORE THE FIRE OUR FOREST  NEEDS BY BEING TOLERANT OF SMOKE FROM PRESCRIBED BURNS AND BY  TELLING OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WE NEED TO FUND FIRE MANAGEMENT AND  NOT JUST FIRE SUPPRESSION.

THE RESEARCH ON THE IMPORTANCE  OF FIRE IN THE FOREST IS CLEAR.

IT IS UP TO US TO ACT.