Saturday, September 14, 2013

Daily Delights - Yellowstone Wildfires

Image from National Weather Service - August 2013
What a difference a day can make! Fire is a natural part of a forest ecosystem and something many people contend with year after year. When they happen in Yellowstone each year though, there is always the perpetual question of "what do we do?". To let it burn means to allow the forest to follow it's natural course, but also drastically alters the landscape and risks the safety of visitors and historic structures. To suppress it protects these things, but to the detriment of the forests natural life cycle. And weighing even heavier than these questions, is the question of who gets to decide?

Alston Chase's Playing God in Yellowstone goes into this and other controversial subjects, essentially telling the National Park Service that it is destroying the world's 1st National Park. Whether you agree with him or not, it is still a compelling read that will get you thinking about what should or should not be done with our land, as well as who you think should get to decide.

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