Evaluating trade-offs of hazardous fuel reduction in Navajo Nation woodlands

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The findings underscore the need to strike a balance between fuel treatments and ecological and cultural priorities. Low-intensity thinning retains culturally relevant structure and old-growth characteristics but may fail under severe fire weather conditions. More intensive treatments (35 and 50 cm) substantially reduced fire behavior metrics but introduced trade-offs. Although the 25-cm diameter cap was based on ecological research, observations from community members about dense woodlands and sparse understory highlight the need for treatment mosaics that take culturally important trees and areas into consideration. Increased thinning intensity may be valuable in areas with high values-at-risk, such as the wildland-urban interface, to mitigate crown fire potential and protect communities. Managers could use the range of thinning treatments tested to create a strategic mosaic of fuel reduction across the landscape. This study offers critical insight into the trade-offs associated with restoration and fuel treatment strategies in culturally and ecologically important woodlands.