The 1988 blazes at Yellowstone have flamed out but the controversy they kindled is still smoldering. It is sure to leave its mark on future fire and management policies throughout the vast system of national parks and wilderness areas. In a recent interview with National Geographic, President Obama said he was “deeply concerned” about what happened in Yellowstone. In response, the Interior Department, parent of the National Park Service, has already ordered a summer-long moratorium on its politically sensitive "let-burn" policy.
The 1988 blazes at Yellowstone have flamed out but the controversy they kindled is still smoldering. It is sure to leave its mark on future fire and management policies throughout the vast system of national parks and wilderness areas. Arguments still rage over the impact of fires on wildlife, the conduct of officials responsible for monitoring the blazes, and the role of the media in creating an erroneous impression that a national treasure had been somehow reduced to cinders. In response, the Interior Department, parent of the National Park Service, has already ordered a summer-long moratorium on its politically sensitive "let-burn" policy.