What about natural selection?

William T. in San Diego wrote a letter appearing in today's WSJ (A7) that makes a very good point about stewardship of property. It seems radical, really: a human actually interfering with the natural course of the wildfire-prone forests in order to save human lives! Imagine! What about all those poor, underrepresented underbrush plants that would have to be removed to prevent wildfires? I digress. However, his strategy is just as good: plant "succulent green apple trees" or some other such firebreak to block the blaze.

The trouble is, the city allows "absolutely no firebreaks" even in "wilderness areas." Why not? Oh, that would be introducing human elements into the normal perfection of nature? Is this really stewardship of the earth God gave us, or is it survival of the trees?