wasted lumber than a forester could hope to grow on so many acres in a hundred years. The story of the Appalachians was being told again, and more loudly. In the 1930s, Sequoia National Park commissioner Walter Fry and superintendent John R. White, “marveled that man had been able by crude methods to do so much damage.” Ecosystem Management Converse Basin has not recovered over a century after it was overlogged. In an attempt to restore the forest, single-species conifer plantations were planted. However, these plantations have been unsuccessful and have caused more harm than good. They are prone to pine beetles and have disrupted the local water cycle, leading to an increase in dead trees and dense fuel loads. These conditions have increased the risk of wildfire. Wildfire Two wildfires have occurred in Converse Basin since logging stopped in 1918. The first, the McGee Fire, burned all the young sequoias in Converse Basin and threatened the Boole Tree in 1955. This event led to the realization of the dangers of suppressing fires and the benefits of prescribed burns. The second wildfire, the Rough Fire, occurred in 2015 and re-burned an area affected by the McGee Fire. However, no trees of exceptional size or historical significance were harmed. Hiking and Recreation There are three main trails in Converse Grove: Boole Tree Trail, Chicago Stump Trail, and Stump Meadow. The Boole Tree Trail is a moderate loop with restroom facilities but no drinkable water, offering views of the Kings River gorge and the Sierra Nevada mountains. The trail passes through a forest of white fir, oaks, incense cedar, and a few young sequoias. The Chicago Stump Trail is an easy loop that winds through a meadow with young sequoias and leads to the remains of a tree called the Chicago Stump. Stump Meadow is a meadow filled with sequoia stumps left over from historic logging and is surrounded by young sequoias that are about 100 years old. Scientists are studying why this area has not regenerated like the rest of the grove. Noteworthy trees Some of the trees found in the grove that are worthy of special note are: Boole Tree: Before 1931, it was believed by some that the Boole Tree was the largest tree in the world, although the General Grant Tree was more widely recognized as the largest at that time. After comparing measurements of other trees, the