Pine beetles have been destroying the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.  Of course, they didn’t just recently develop an appetite for pines: they are called pine beetles, after all.  Unfortunately, our very love of trees is leading to their destruction.  Fire is a natural friend of the forest — and it’s hard for us to imagine fire as being good.  We have to remember, though, that the health of the forest is independent of us.  If we want healthy trees, we have to get out of the way and let them burn.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/12/02/3007651/pine-beetles-jersey/