The severity of recent fire seasons in the US has provided dramatic evidence for the increasing complexity of wildfire problems. A wide variety of indicators suggest worsening dilemmas: area burned, funds expended, homes destroyed or evacuated, ecosystems at risk, and human fatalities/injuries all seem to be on the increase or have peaked in recent years. The National Fire Plan (and ongoing initiatives by the US Forest Service and Department of Interior) and current administration's response to the 2002 fire season (i.e., President Bush's Healthy Forest Initiative) have stimulated heightened interest in fuel treatments.