Threats
Threats to the Chaparral
1. Too much fire2. Fuel treatments conducted by fire agencies like Cal Fire 3. Prescribed fire 4. Climate change5. Misconceptions leading to negative public attitudes
Misconceptions about chaparral have the potential of being the most dangerous because they lead to irrational public policy that promotes destructive land management practices such as broadscale destruction of native shrublands through prescribed burning, grinding, and the spraying of herbicides. Correcting misconceptions is challenging because they often support million-dollar clearance projects as well as careers.
"There is an additional crisis taking place in our Southern California Forests as an unprecedented number of human-caused fires have increased fire frequency to the extent that fire-adapted chaparral can no longer survive and is being replaced with non-native annual grasses at an alarming rate. To counter these trends, forest managers will need to significantly increase the pace and scale of the Region’s restoration work." The battle continues, however, to stop other government agencies and private corporations from stoking fear about fire and preying on people's fear of Nature.