California V: An Inside Look at Yosemite National Park

Wednesday provided an opportunity to see, in some detail, facets of management at Yosemite National Park. I spent the day on a field trip looking at, and talking about, the fire program at the Park. They have a very active fire use program--re-establishing fire to its pre-European role in the ecosystem--as well as a fuels management program that uses prescribed fire, and a fire management program that deals with wildland fire that may or may not threaten Park infrastructure. They also have a great fire education program that engages staff, visitors, local residents, and school kids.


We took a look at the Giant Sequoia groves at the Park, and particularly at the use of fire to maintain and protect the groves. Talk about the need for fire education--there are a lot of people who ask a lot of questions about setting fire in those groves. Fortunately, the Park Fire Staff is skookum--that means they know what they are doing in Forest Service speak.





Of course we also were immersed in the beauty of Yosemite. And I wasn't the only one gazing off at Half Dome and El Capitan--I caught this little lizard enjoying the sun and the view of the valley!