Fires in Yellowstone National Park

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how, given the historical and ecological history of Yellowstone National Park, the forest manager has three options in regard to controlled wildfires - suppression, fire management involving allowing natural fires to burn, and controlled or prescribed burning involving fires set by professionals. It also looks at the pros and cons of controlled burning in Yellowstone and gives recommendations concerning an option combining both controlled burning and suppression.

Outline:
What Options Are Available As Manager?
What Can Yellowstone National Park Do About This Current Issue--Fires In Yellowstone?
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Controlled Burning In Yellowstone?
Part II Recommendation Analysis

From the Paper:

"In 1988, the largest fire in the history of site burned in Yellowstone National Park. The fire was a combination of unseasonably dry weather and controlled and uncontrolled fires. Some believe the fire to be a combination of experimental fire management plans that were launched after the research of the 1960s that shed light on the benefits of small fires although only thirty-eight of the fifty fires that burned were actually controlled or prescribed fires ("Wildland Fire"). Though this evidence seems to suggest that the destruction caused by the fire was a result of wildfire, not fire management, the argument can still be made that the additional twelve fires were not suppressed because of relaxed suppression policies due to fire management. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• National Park Service. "Evolution of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy." The National Park Service. 2001 January. 17 June 2008. < http://www.nifc.gov/fire_policy/docs/chp1.pdf>.
• National Park service. "Wildland Fire In Yellowstone." The National Park Service. 28 June 2007. 11 June 2008.<http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/wildlandfire.htm>.

More papers on Fires in Yellowstone National Park:

• Essay # 46961 : "1988 Fire at Yellowstone National Park"
• Article Review # 112880 : "Yellowstone National Park Fire Issues"
• Analytical Essay # 112755 : "Controlled Burning"

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