Opinion: When sawmills close, wildfire risk grows

The closing of sawmills in Oregon has led to a significant issue in wildfire prevention, as thinning efforts generate small-diameter logs that no longer have a market for processing. Naresh Khanal highlights that this creates a critical gap, as these logs are left to accumulate, increasing wildfire risk. The lack of action from both local and federal levels to address this problem underscores a larger issue where economic and environmental policies are out of sync, potentially exacerbating future wildfire dangers. This situation reveals deeper systemic challenges in balancing economic viability and environmental protection.