George Wuerthner is one of the most interesting ecologists and activists I have met, and certainly the most prolific writer.  He has written dozens of books and many more articles on wildfire, predators, and the environmental impact of ranching, along with water and fishery issues.  His views are often controversial, especially regarding fire, but compelling when carefully considered.  In short, George believes that forest thinning does not help catastrophic wildfire control.  He argues we should focus on creating fire resistant buildings, establishing defensible borders, and leaving forests alone.  The explanation for this is beyond the scope of this post, but here’s a video he sent me on the beneficial nature of fire in stream and river systems.  It’s worth a quick view.