Stream corridors and watershed values were especially hard hit
Julia of CSERC’s staff stands next to the incinerated stream corridor of Corral Creek. It was one of the stream areas that suffered greatly from the intense firestorm conditions in the hottest “runs” during the worst 2 days of fire’s spread. Wildfires rarely consume every single plant for miles along moist, cool creek corridors. The Rim Fire was unique. Although the drought has resulted in less erosion and slide damage than would have occurred if typical major winter storms had pelted the watershed, even the minimal rain events this year still caused ash, topsoil and forest litter to wash downslope.
In response to often emotional debates over how to best manage the vast burn area, the Forest Service has held two major scientific discussions in Sacramento — bringing together advocates of differing management strategies to talk directly with scientists. (photo above) Despite local community interests also having strongly different perspectives on most forest issues, there has been a strong spirit of consensus and collaborative cooperation at the local area level. Participants in the Yosemite Stanislaus Solutions collaborative group (photo below) have already invested significant time and effort into building a base of agreement to support Rim Fire restoration efforts.
The goal is not just to repair some of the worst damage from the fire. The YSS goal (shared strongly by CSERC) is to create public forest management policies and projects that can greatly reduce the likelihood of yet another major devastating wildfire in the future.