Stop Promising What Logging Can't Deliver

For years Colorado has bet big on logging forests to ward off wildfires, but the approach keeps missing the mark. Recent moves backed by high-profile leaders pushed more heavy cutting than seen in a century, all under the banner of keeping homes and families safe. Yet the evidence shows this dollar-heavy strategy rarely stops flames and may even worsen fire behavior by leaving more wind to fuel the spread. Behind the scenes, top researchers quietly warn that thinning forests offers little real protection and can sometimes backfire by speeding up fires instead of slowing them down.Current laws favor funding logging over simpler, proven fixes like strengthening homes with fire-resistant materials. Studies confirm that treating the land itself does little to block wind-driven fires that roar through canopies, the kind most likely to destroy neighborhoods. Many officials still repeat the myth that cutting trees equals safety, even though top forest experts admit such work is meant only to tweak fire intensity in rare low-grade blazes—not guard entire towns. Meanwhile, anyone questioning this approach risks being labeled an enemy of progress, silencing honest debate on what actually works.