From the Purpose ... 'Fire is a natural part of Northern Rocky Mountain terrestrial ecosystems. These, like any ecosystems, operate, in part, through interactions of living organisms. The biological interrelationships have developed from the processes of organic evolution, which results from the functioning of genetic mechanisms. For reasons made clear later, fuel and fire specialists, to understand their potential influence on evolutionary processes, daily should be asking themselves questions about genetic principles.My purpose here is to raise questions. They are questions I hope fuel and fire specialists will be asking themselves as they proceed through their day-to-day decision-making in fuel and fire management. As they ask themselves the questions, these specialists may wish to better equip themselves with the tools of modern genetic principles.My second purpose is to try to stimulate research. Only the generation of good data will confirm or refute the concerns raised here.'