Purpose:

In this lesson, you will 1) Learn about the history of forest fire and fire fighting policy in the United States and its far-reaching effects on our forests; 2) Investigate the ecological significance of fire; 3) Study prescription burn policies and methods which are currently being employed by managers of our public lands; and, 4) Produce a high-quality video which will be used to educate your fellow students/peers across the nation on the Fire Eco-Crisis of our forest.

Directions/Activities:

1) Read the handout, "The Mystery of the Vanishing Giants." Your teacher will follow up the reading with a brief discussion.

2) Next, you will receive a reprint copy of a comic book published over thirty years ago called, "The True Story of Smokey the Bear."

a) Study the entire contents, including the old Smokey the Bear posters inside the front and back covers.

b) Summarize the message contained in the comic and posters in your own words.

c) Your teacher will now show you some more recent Smokey posters (published within the past ten years). Notice and discuss the subtle but very important differences in Smokey's updated and revised message.

3) Read the following brief articles relating to forest fires and fire ecology:

• "Fire History"
• "Fire in the 1980's"
• "The Many Faces of Fire"

Activity A--- answer and discuss with your class the following questions relative to the readings:

a) Describe some of the ways that Native American used fire to their benefit.

b) Who was Gifford Pinchot and what was his philosophy regarding forest fire?

c) What was the "10:00 a.m. fire control policy"?

d) Briefly describe the evolution of the "Let Burn" policy.

e) Distinguish between a catastrophic fire and a management fire. Describe two catastrophic fires that have taken place in Yosemite in recent years. What are the two most catastrophic fires that have happened in global history.

f) Describe the two main strategies used in managing fires.

g) How is it possible to use fire to prevent fire?

h) Describe two Park Service occupations that relate to fire management.

i) Review the burned acreage statistics given in the "Many Faces of Fire" article. What % of Yosemite National Park (Total park acreage=750,000 acres) has had a prescription burn? A lightning fire? What percentage of the park has yet to see a fire in recent years?

4) Activity B (Fire Crisis Role-Playing Activity)

Fire scientists finally agree that the vast majority of Sierra Nevada forests are "Infernos-in-waiting." The Governor of California in conjunction with U.S. Directors of the Forest Service and Park Service have appointed a task force OT make recommendation on this critical issue.

You will be asked to volunteer to role-play the listed positions, take part in a high-powered "Sierra Fire Summit" meeting to be held in the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco, and make recommendations regarding solutions to this Sierra Nevada eco-crisis.

Sierra Fire Summit meeting participants:

• The Superintendent of Yosemite National Park
• The manager of Camp Sugar Pine, a youth camp located ten miles southwest of Yosemite
• A Fire Ecologist from the University of California § An Inyo National Forest Fire crew boss
• An old-time Yosemite camper with Emphysema
• A property owner from Foresta, a privately-owned tract within the boundary of Yosemite, whose home was destroyed in the devastating A-rock fire of 1990
• A cattle rancher with a grazing permit for zones within Sierra National Forest
• A regular Yosemite backpacker/Sierra Club member from the Bay Area
• A State of California air pollution specialist from Sacramento
• A reporter writing an article for U.S. News on Fire Ecology
• Tom Roberts, owner/manager of Virginia Lakes Pack Station
• Citizens from local communities-Mariposa, Oakhurst, Mammoth, etc.

Vocabulary: Ecosystem, succession, litter, duff, annual growth ring, dendrochronology, serotinous, catastrophic fire, crown fire, prescribed burn, "pack test"

On-line Materials:

• The National Park Service Fire Management Program Center
• Forest Service Living With Fire Game

Career Explorations:

Fire Ecologist, Fire Technician, Forest Ranger, National Park Ranger, Wildland Firefighter, Prescribed Fire Specialist

Evaluation:

Your mission will be to visit two different sites of recent forest fires (both a catastrophic fire site and a prescribed burn site). You are to hike, browse, sketch, take notes, etc. of each area and carefully notice the obvious as well as subtle differences between the two.

Then, working in small groups with video equipment, you are to produce a ten-minute, high-quality video commentary to be used to educate your student/peers across the country regarding the Fire Eco-Crisis of our forests. Your video will among other things, discuss the history of forest fire management and demonstrate the differences between a destructive and a healthy burn.