The foresters in the forest service used to be able to use science in their decisions. Now the Sierra Club lawyers are often making the final decisions.
We have made some limited progress near towns ( Summit County, Grand County...) because the local politicans realize that it may be their necks at risk. South Lake Tahoe fires scared a few local politicans.
Private land owners generally make better decisions than these lawyers.
While building defensible zones around these towns is good, the forests generally are not healthy.
That's for darn sure.
The wackos didn't want the trees cut, so now they're all going to burn instead.
Tis a shame.