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Two summary responses concerning fire impacts follow: 



In Yosemite National Park, The Mariposa Grove Special Management Area shows 

 little impact from prescribed fire. This open forest landscape remains a rich 

 aesthetic resource despite its considerable modification through mechanical 

 manipulation, by fire and by many years of human use, including the former 

 presence of visitor facilities. Presumably the earlier manipulations have 

 damped the behavior of fire and its impacts. The boundaries of the area are 

 made obvious by the dense edge of forest unmodified by fire or other 

 manipulation. 



In Sequoia - Kings Canyon National Park, the Special Management Areas 

 between the Congpress Trail and the Moro Rock - Crescent Meadow area are 

 aesthetically rich; they also show various levels of impact from prescribed 

 fire. Some impacts are subtle and not readily distinguished; others are so 

 harsh as to affect visitor perception and satisfaction for years into the 

 future. Impacts are not exclusively those of Big Tree bark charring 

 andscorching but include loss of associated species of the forest. 



There appears need for pre-fire manipulations directed not only to Big 

 Trees but also to forest associates of the Big Tree and to ground plane 

 components. There is need for post-fire manipulation, especisdly directed to 

 removal of standing dead or stressed trees. Despite Sequoiadendron ' s 

 silvicultural linkage with fire, hot fire areas raise questions of stress on 

 species other than giant sequoia and on the forests' vitality, questions 

 needing research answers . 



