Pyrocene park : a journey into the fire history of Yosemite National Park

Its monumental rocks, etched by glaciers during the last Ice Age, have made Yosemite National Park a crown jewel of the national park system and a world-celebrated destination. Yet, more and more, fire rather than ice is shaping this storied landscape. In the last decade, fire has blasted into public attention. California’s blazes have captured national and global media interest with their drama and urgency. Expand the realm of fire to include the burning of fossil fuels, and the fire story also subsumes climate change. Renowned fire historian Stephen J. Pyne argues that the relationship between fire and humans has become a defining feature of our epoch, and he reveals how Yosemite offers a cameo of how we have replaced an ice age with a fire age: the Pyrocene. Organized around a backcountry trek to a 50-year experiment in restoring fire, Pyrocene Park describes the 150-year history of fire suppression and management that has led us, in part, to where the park is today. But there is more. Yosemite’s fire story is America’s, and the Earth’s, as it shifts from an ice-informed world to a fire-informed one. Pyrocene Park distills that epic story into a sharp miniature. Flush with people, ideas, fires, and controversy, Pyrocene Park is a compelling and accessible window into the American fire scene and the future it promises. "The book is a fire history of Yosemite National Park, with the Illioutte Basin watershed a specific focusing point of discussion, told via two interlocking narratives, historical and personal. It's a story of the role of fire in shaping the park and the human dramas within it, and the evolution of fire management philosophy as generations of stewards attempt to reconcile disparate ideas of wilderness and control in an iconic landscape. The major argument of the manuscript follows that wildfire has a long history within the Park and that historic human intervention into that fire has complicated the relationship greatly. Also, that the story is still evolving and has an uncertain future. Throughout, the author discusses elements of fire ecology, sociopolitical factors, and personalities who have contributed to shaping the current state of fire management in the Park"-- Provided by publisher Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Contents List of Illustrations Prologue: Ice and Fire 1. Valley and Grove 2. Fire and Sword 3. Gorge and Basin 4. Road and Trail 5. The Trek: The Path to Illilouette 6. The Trek: Burning the Basin 7. The Trek: Back to the Future Epilogue: Between Three Fires Codicil Author’s Note Notes Credits Index About the Author