Park service to thin out Yosemite's growing crowds -- of trees

[XemaSab]

Reporting from Yosemite National Park -- National parks tend to be a tree hugger's paradise. Layers of federal laws, strict park service rules and even the disapproving scowls from some visitors prohibit so much as driving a nail into a tree, much less cutting one down.

But it's getting a bit crowded in Yosemite, where more than a hundred years of prompt firefighting have allowed towering pines and cedars to clog the park's meadows and valleys. These days, you can barely see the granite for the trees.

That's about to change. Yosemite National Park officials say thousands of trees will be felled to preserve the iconic views of the park's waterfalls and the craggy faces of El Capitan and Half Dome.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-yosemite-trees-20110730,0,7386065.story

[tabasco]

1. Yeah, I hate it when all those trees get in the way of a beautiful view.

We should cut them all down so we can see rocks better.

[msongs]

2. nice pic tho not of yosemite nt

[tabasco]

4. Didn't say it was, Jack. n/t

[tularetom]

3. It's not just the trees. it's the underbrush

We live approximately at the interface between the oak and pine belts - 1500 to 1800 feet.

There isn't a big problem at this elevation but if I drive a few miles up the hill I see a lot more brush, grass, and small trees in the spaces between the larger trees. In the old days, small fires kept the forest floor clear without reaching high enough to burn the big trees. But "modern" logging and firefighting practices have eliminated the more fire resistant varieties of conifers and allowed the growth of dense undergrowth on the forest floor. Many of the pines are now gone and dense growth of firs and cedars have grown in their place. These trees are more apt to burn and also clog up the spaces between the large trees.

[wtmusic]

5. This has been going on for 100 years

and will help prevent the bark beetle infestation which has been devouring Sierra forests.



"The photo on the right was prior to selective thinning that was done in the early 1900s to preserve one of the most popular views in the Valley. Following the thinning the view of El Capitan on the left was selected to represent Yosemite in the Postage Stamp Series."

http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/scenic-vistas.htm

[pscot]

6. Maybe they should just arm

bears.