GATLINBURG, Tenn. – Thousands of residents and business owners are returning to their properties, or what's left of them, today, after historic wildfires swept through Gatlinburg on Monday night. While they confront the losses and cleanup ahead, there's talk about what advanced the fires so quickly and what could be done to prevent them.
Josh Kelly, a public lands biologist with the conservation group Mountain True, said the number of homes built into the mountainsides around the tourist town and lack of prescribed fires added to the scope of the disaster.
"The development pattern around Gatlinburg set the stage for this disaster, and a lot of people that lost their homes probably had no idea that the homes they owned were in dangerous locations, but they truly were," he stated.
Paying attention to where development is allowed and reducing the amount of combustible materials are among the strategies to adapt to climate change. As temperatures rise and rainfall amounts decrease, Kelly and others say more steps must be taken to work with the changing environment.
Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy said these disasters are reminders that Tennessee's geography doesn't offer much protection from the effects of climate change.
"We sort of think that, 'Well OK, we're not on the coast, we're not going to deal with sea-level rise; we're not out West and see the forest fires,' and you know, we think we're relatively safe in relationship," he said. "But I know over the past few months, my child has not been able to go out and play because of air quality alerts."
Kelly blames record-breaking dry conditions that created the perfect storm for what occurred Monday night.
"So, along with that lack of rain, we've had a lot of sun and heat to dry out all the leaf litter and wood and fuels on the ground," Kelly added. "It's led to conditions where any sort of spark or ember can lead to a big wildfire."
In addition to short-term adaptation, he said reducing fossil fuel use, which adds to global warming, is a long-term way to mitigate climate change.
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New Mexico has one of the nation's last "wild" rivers, free of human-made structures and community representatives will be back in the nation's Capitol this week to advocate for its protection.
A delegation of tribal leaders, local elected officials, veterans and community leaders will urge members of Congress to pass the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act. Passage would protect nearly 450 miles of the Gila and San Francisco Rivers and their tributaries.
Harry Browne, a commissioner in Grant County, said local residents have championed the legislation for nearly a decade.
"This region is among the nation's most economically challenged," Browne pointed out. "We deserve the benefits of Wild and Scenic Designation, increased tourism, increased investment by small businesses in outdoor recreation activities."
After four introductions, the bill passed out of a Senate committee last year with bipartisan support. As negotiated, it would allow grazing operations to continue on surrounding areas. Nonetheless, some landowners oppose the bill, worried it might restrict their Gila water use and lead to lawsuits.
In 2011, the Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico won the right to establish a reservation on homelands in southern New Mexico.
Pamela Eagleshield, vice chair of the tribe in Oklahoma, said many of the remaining 800 members hope to return and enjoy the pristine environment.
"Because our petroglyphs, our carvings, our culture, our history; everything that we have is there," Eagleshield emphasized. "If it's changed in any way, that's something that directly affects the spirituality of our people."
Browne noted the Grant County community-driven proposal will benefit people of all kinds.
"That is why my family and I moved here back in the early '90s," Browne stressed. "It would be devastating to see what we have here diminished by un-careful development."
New Mexico's outdoor recreation industry generates just over $2 billion in consumer spending by directly employing 28,000 people.
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The Supreme Court's decision in 2023 to roll back the Clean Water Act has meant less federal oversight in protecting the country's wetlands.
Illinois does not have a standalone program, and one organization hopes state legislators will pass measures to change this. Wetlands clean the water, reduce flooding and provide fish and wildlife habitat.
David McEllis, Illinois legislative director for the Environmental Law and Policy Center, said Senate Bill 3669 and House Bill 5386 have passed out of their respective committees, but he expects future amendments.
"This would create, through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, a permitting process for when a landowner wants to destroy or fill in or work on wetlands in the state," McEllis outlined. "That covers the gap that was created by the Supreme Court decision."
The department believes landowners can play an important role in protecting the state's nearly 54,000 species of insects, birds, mammals, frogs and fungi by providing nesting and roosting places for habitat and making clean water accessible. The agency warns the state's natural areas are being lost to urban development and agricultural and industrial interests.
McEllis believes a wetlands standalone program would continue where the court's ruling left off and protect the state's remaining untouched and unprotected wetlands. The center's fact sheet said Illinois has already lost 90% of its wetland acreage and the status of the remaining 10% is unknown.
He pointed out the destruction of wetlands has taken place in Illinois for hundreds of years, since the state's establishment in the 1800s.
"There are some existing protections in the state in Cook County and some of the suburban counties, so those wetlands have some protection," McEllis acknowledged. "There are multiple rivers in downstate Illinois, and also wetlands areas throughout the state."
McEllis noted millions of wetlands have already been used for farming purposes, resulting in a loss for the state. A report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said wetlands currently cover nearly 6% of the land in 48 states. An estimated 95% of wetlands are freshwater; the rest are marine.
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The Alliance for the Wild Rockies has sued the U.S. Forest Service over a logging project in southwestern Montana.
The group claims the agency didn't do the necessary environmental impact review.
The project calls for cutting 11 miles of road into an area bordering the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness Area so loggers can take almost 11,000 acres of timber.
Alliance for the Wild Rockies Executive Director Mike Garrity said the project threatens prime lynx habitat now, and for future generations.
"And lynx are listed as 'threatened' under the Endangered Species Act," said Garrity. "Lynx avoid clearcuts for up to 50 years, and they also avoid roads."
The edge of the Anaconda-Pintler is prime habitat for grizzly bears, too, which also avoid clear cuts and are most often killed close to logging roads.
The Forest Service has argued that managing forests by tree thinning helps limit wildfire danger. The suit awaits action in federal court in Missoula.
Garrity argued that the Forest Service violated a federal law requiring a thorough Environmental Impact Statement before starting a project, and discounted work that had already been done in the 115 square mile area.
"The Forest Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service didn't consider the 145 miles of illegal roads in the project area," said Garrity. "They just pretended they didn't exist."
The Forest Service contends it held public meetings during the planning stages.
Garrity said since logging on the Anaconda-Pintler project has already started, the alliance may sue for an injunction to stop further work while the lawsuit proceeds.
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