The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) addresses a wide range of environmental concerns. However, its impacts on forest stand development and productive potential have only recently been investigated. We surveyed the vegetation and forest productivity on 22 surfacemine sites throughout the coal-bearing region of Indiana that were reclaimed to forest cover under the provisions of SMCRA 7–14 years prior to sampling. Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) were the most widely occurring tree species.Tall fescue and goldenrod were the most widely occurring nonarborescent species. Median site index (base age 50 for black oak) was 30 ft. Although satisfying forest cover stocking requirements for bond release, these reclaimed surface mines almost always displayed a level of productivity farbelow those of native forests typical of this region. Reclamation techniques differing from those used on these study sites are needed to restore forest productivity to surface-mined lands while still complying with SMCRA.

There is increasing discussion in the academic and agency literature, as well as popular media, about the need to address the existing deficit of beneficial fire on landscapes. One approach allowable under United States federal wildland fire policy that could help address this condition is by deliberately managing wildfire with a strategy other than full suppression (hereafter referred to as ‘managed wildfire’). To improve the understanding of the managed fire decision-making process, we conducted a mixed methods review of the existing literature. This review spanned 1976 to 2013 and used thematic coding to identify key factors that affect the decision to manage a wildfire. A total of 110 descriptive factors categories were identified. These were classified into six key thematic groups, which addressed specific decision considerations. This nexus of factors and decision pathways formed what we describe as the ‘Managed Fire Decision Framework’, which contextualizes important pressures, barriers, and facilitators related to managed wildfire decision-making. The most prevalent obstacles to managing wildfire were operational concerns and risk aversion. The factor most likely to support managing a fire was the decision maker’s desire to see the strategy be implemented. Ultimately, we found that the managed fire decision-making process is extremely complex, and that this complexity may itself be a barrier to its implementation.

No attempt has ever been made to track the long term progress of reforested mine sites in Indiana following reclamation bond release. The purpose of this survey was to determine how well reforested mine sites in Indiana were performing in terms of values and services normally ascribed to native forest and what their future potential might be. Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) was the most abundant species on 68% of the surveyed sites and accounted for 45% of all tallied trees and shrubs across all sites. Many black locust stands are currently experiencing decline and dieback caused, in part, by the locust borer. Forty percent of stands approached unmined planted tree height growth rates, while only 27% approached stem diameter growth rates of stands on unmined sites. Most reclaimed mine sites had measured site quality indices below the poorer quality sites in the region's native forests. Overall stocking in the establishment phase of stand development appeared adequate for future commercial timber production on many of the study sites. However, the dominance of black locust stocking in many stands limits their future viability for timber production. Tall fescue and serica lespedeza along with naturally occurring goldenrod were the most common ground covers in surveyed tree plantings. With few exceptions the reclaimed mine sites in this study show very low levels of productivity for forest products and carbon sequestration relative to native forests of this region, even though stocking levels appeared to be adequate. This suggests that the current bond performance measurement of 450 trees/acre bears little relevance to long term forest productivity. The results of this survey should serve as a baseline to determine the extent to which recent and future changes in reclamation methods improve reforestation success while meeting the other mandates of Indiana's mining regulatory program.

This perspective serves as a preface to the Topical Issue of Fire and presents an opportunity, framed within the classic approach of a thought experiment, to discuss how a new wildfire governance framework may be created from the ground up, if it were unencumbered by any existing construct, or experiences. It is not specific to any one country or fire regime; rather, it is intended merely to stimulate a wider conversation about where we are at collectively, and where we may want to move to in the future with our policies, organization, science, management, technology; or any of the myriad components that comprise the greater discipline of wildland fire science and management. The authors suggest that loosening the shackles of reality may allow for innovative discussion and the generation of transformative ideas to help ecosystems and communities better coexist with fire. We invite perspectives to submit to this Topical Issue on all aspects of wildfire governance, including reviews and perspectives. We also welcome perspectives on how to adapt wildfire governance in the face of exceptional events such as pandemics, earthquakes, famines, and war.