Investigation
Policy & Transparency
The Statutory Void: Federal Wildfire Use, Agency Discretion, and the Limits of Compensation for Affected Landowners
No organic statute authorizes managing wildfire for resource benefit — and when that practice destroys private property, the discretionary function exception closes the courthouse door. A legal history from the Organic Act of 1897 to the Black Fire.
About the author
Frank Carroll
My name is Frank Carroll. I'm a wildfire consultant and a veteran of the Forest Service. For the last decade or so I've been deeply engaged in wildfire policy, and in looking at the overarching picture of wildfire management, forest management, and active management in the United States on both public and private lands.
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