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This policy brief by the World Resources Institute examines the impact of high-severity wildfires on forest carbon sequestration in the United States. It argues that historical fire suppression and climate change have created a dangerous feedback loop of severe fires that release stored carbon and permanently damage the ability of forests to recover. The document advocates for scaled-up 'fuel load treatments,' the development of markets for thinned biomass, and federal policy reforms to protect the land carbon sink and support rural communities.