[pct-l] Fires.

[cmkudija at ca.rr.com]

Tortoise is correct (imho, naturally).  I recall even in '94 the PCT in this
area traversed forest full of downed and dead trees.  In an environment with
year-round precipitation, deadwood decomposes much more quickly and is
likely less of a component of catastrophic fires.  But in California's
summer-dry climate, downed trees don't decay rapidly and forest fire
suppression has led to huge amounts of accumulation as well as dense growth
of spindly trees that would have benefited from low-intensity, forest-floor
level fires over time.   Even prescribed burns are difficult to do because
of conflicting agency requirements - air quality standards are just one
example.   Then we get a catastrophic fire like this one and we are forced
to suppress it because we're trying to prevent property damage.  Sigh.  The
only thing that gives me hope is the evidence from the Yellowstone forest
fires - lots of trees are growing now (and not knowing the details of
species diversity, I'm just benignly happy that stuff is growing there now,
and letting the forest managers worry that species diversity is likely
different from the pre-fire conditions).

Also, we haven't experienced a major drought in California for some years
now.    I recall hiking up Bubbs Creek on Memorial Day weekend in '77 to
Junction Meadow, then climbing Mt. Rixford (near the PCT in the vicinity of
Kearsarge Pass).  Hardly ANY snow at elevation - we'd had a substantial
two-year drought where in the SF Bay Area many of us were "reclaiming"
dishwater and shower overspray to flush toilets & water plants.     Frankly,
we will not know this drought's duration until it's over, whether it's the
upcoming winter, or the next one, or the next one...

Warning - major off-topic drought-rain cycle digression!  Late in the 19th
century to the early 20th (approximately 1889 through 1914) a prolonged
drought, combined with a surge in population in Los Angeles County,
contributed to major groundwater overdrafting and drying of perennial
streams.  Development proceeded in floodplains, along the (dry) river
channels - and people probably hummed an early version of "It Never Rains in
California."  Then in February of 1914, it started to rain.  And rain.
Approximately 19 inches of rain fell in 4 days, as measured at Mt. Wilson,
north of Pasadena.  This deluge caused flooding along the San Gabriel & Los
Angeles rivers & tributaries, $10 million in property damage, and much loss
of life.  Naturally - the powers-that-were floated a bond issue to
channelize every conceivable river/stream channel, instead of trying to
understand the region's hydrology.... [for more, you might be able to find
my source document somewhere: Richard Bigger, "Flood Control in Metropolitan
Los Angeles," University of California Publications in Political Science,
Volume VI, 1959, University of California Press, Berkeley, California,
1959].

I guess my point is that whether the current drought is related to what we
now recognize as global warming or whether it's a "normal" precipitation
cycle fluctuation - some of our agencies will over-react to such things as
catastrophic fires, others will continue to permit dense development in
fire- or flood-prone areas, and plenty of property owners will happily
trudge along in denial about history, Nature and her power.

I obviously am procrastinating working today!

Christine "Ceanothus" Kudija
PCT partially '94

www.pcta.org
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Ceanothus (see-ah-no-thus) or California lilac:  Shrubs or small trees,
often with divaricate, sometimes spiny, twigs...[flowers] small but showy,
white to blue or purplish, sometimes lavender or pinkish, borne in terminal
or lateral panicles or umbellike cymes.
                                                               Philip A.
Munz
                                                               A California
Flora, U.C. Press, 1973