Scientists and managers in the Sierra Nevada parks have long recognized the essential nature of fire in these forests and have responded over the years with an increasingly sophisticated fire restoration program using both prescribed burns and natural fires.
Southwest Ecology
Wildfire ecology in the western United States, part 2
Fire management and restoration programs in the Sierra National Parks now reflect much of what researchers like van Wagtendonk and Stephenson have learned about the behavior and ecology of wildfires. The current prescribed burning program, says Stephenson, is highly successful.
Lake Powell — Sea of joy, sea of excess
The damming of the Colorado River at Glen Canyon is high on the West’s “greatest ecological sins” list.
Navajo National Monument: An ancient oasis in northern Arizona
Tucked away in remote Tsegi Canyon, the monument surrounds a small desert oasis, a place abundant in plant life, with mountain mahogany, Gambel oak, serviceberry, rice grass and Douglas fir scattered across the canyon.
World’s oldest known fossil reptile nests discovered in Arizona’s Petrified Forest
The fossil nests, dating to about 220 million years ago, are similar to modern-day crocodile and turtle nests.
