Fire-adapted natural climate solutions to reduce wildfire emissions in US forests

Wildfire activity and associated greenhouse gas emissions are increasing across US forests as climate change intensifies fire weather and fuel aridity. These trends challenge forest-based natural climate solutions (NCS) that prioritize carbon accumulation without accounting for wildfire-driven disturbance risk. We synthesize current science and regional expert knowledge to define fire-adapted NCS as forest-based climate mitigation strategies that reduce long-term wildfire emissions while sustaining forest carbon, sequestration capacity, and ecosystem function under changing climate and fire regimes. Across US forests, beneficial fire, forest thinning and biomass utilization, and climate-informed reforestation can stabilize carbon stocks and support post-fire recovery when aligned with regional fire regimes, vegetation, fuels, governance contexts, and workforce capacity. We frame fire-adapted NCS as a carbon stewardship strategy embedded within integrated fire risk management, emphasizing long-term wildfire emissions reduction, forest resilience, and carbon durability over maximizing short-term carbon stocks.