Introduction to synthesis of current science

Preparation of this report was commissioned to a group of scientists and land managers by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, for the purpose of synthesizing current scientific literature to answer an important question facing the managers of Federal, State, and private lands in many parts of the country: At the watershed scale, what potential cumulative environmental effects might result from implementing fuel-reduction activities on forested landscapes? The main body of this report is a compilation of their findings, including both what can and cannot be concluded from the current science.