Fire is transforming the West’s public lands

By: Kyle Manley

Outlets: Colorado Newsline

Published: May 14, 2026

Words: 1,401

Last Updated: 2 months, 2 weeks ago

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This commentary was originally published by The Commentary.

Colorado’s two largest fires on record, the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires, burned hundreds of thousands of acres across some of the state’s most visited landscapes in 2020.

The fires scorched trails, campgrounds and beloved ecosystems in and around Rocky Mountain National Park and the Arapahoe and Roosevelt national forests.

More than five years later, the scars remain stark: blackened …

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