To carve an aspen tree — to take a blade to the trunk for the sake of your initials, for example — is to do harm. Harm to a being with a life expectancy much like our own: 100 years, if we’re lucky.

Across the West, quaking aspen are facing steep regeneration challenges due to climate stress, browsing animals, pests, and shifting fire patterns. While fire can spark new growth, hotter, drier ...