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I'm Dr. Anthony Lisewitz and this is Climate Connections. Ryan Reed is from the Karuk, Hupa and Yurok tribes in California. Growing up, he learned how his people long used intentional fire to keep landscapes healthy.
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But we were never able to actually go out and do those things.
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In the early 1900s, states and the Forest Service began mandating that all fires be suppressed, effectively outlawing indigenous fire practices. The Forest Service has since reversed those policies, but their legacy remains. Many areas are overgrown with trees and brush that fuel severe fires, and the risks are growing as the climate warms. In 2020, after a deadly wildfire near his home, Reed became a wildland firefighter with the Forest Service, a job he held for four summers. He says at times it felt contradictory,
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fighting fire for an agency that have historically marginalized and oppressed my people.
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But he wanted to help keep people safe, and now he's tackling the root of the problem by helping reduce the risk of intense fires. He co founded Fire Generation Collaborative, a youth led organization. The group educates people on the beneficial uses of fire and advocates for indigenous land management practices to build a more resilient future for all. Climate Connections is produced by the Yale center for Environmental Communication. To learn more about climate change, visit climateconnections.org.
Podcast: Climate Connections
Episode: One Indigenous man's mission to change how the Forest Service thinks about fire
Host: Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz
Guest: Ryan Reed (Karuk, Hupa, and Yurok tribes; wildland firefighter; co-founder, Fire Generation Collaborative)
Date: June 23, 2026
This episode spotlights Ryan Reed, an Indigenous advocate and wildland firefighter from California, on his work to transform how the U.S. Forest Service and broader public understand and use fire. The focus is on reclaiming traditional Indigenous fire practices to better manage the land, prevent catastrophic wildfires, and foster climate resilience.
Historical Suppression of Indigenous Fire Practices
Dr. Leiserowitz sets the context, describing how Ryan Reed learned about the centuries-old practice of intentional burning used by his Karuk, Hupa, and Yurok ancestors to maintain ecosystem health.
Reed remarks on restrictions placed on these practices:
Legacy of Fire Suppression and Climate Change
Ryan Reed’s Journey
Action for the Future: Fire Generation Collaborative
On Prohibited Practices:
On Working for the Forest Service:
For more on climate action and similar inspiring stories: climateconnections.org