Karen Abt
Forest Economist
Southern Research Station
My favorite science experience has been working on fire-related questions. There is so much we don’t know about wildfire and its role in our forests and, in particular, its role in our national forests. What would happen if we let wildfires burn rather than putting them out? How would this affect the people who live next to or in the forest? And will letting fires burn make putting them out cheaper in the future? How do we return the forest to its normal rhythms of fire and recovery when smoke and fire harm people? Will a changing climate make all of our efforts to reintroduce and control wildfires irrelevant by permanently changing the forest regardless of what we do?
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Today, Smokey continues to teach people of all ages about the importance of preventing wildfires. Just how effective is Smokey’s message? The scientists in this study were interested in learning...A Burning Question: Is An Ounce of Prevention Worth a Pound of Cure?
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Additional Resources
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USDA Forest Service: Karen Lee Abt
Learn more about Karen Lee Abt's research at her Forest Service profile page.Visit Profile
