Great job explaining Rough fire aftermath

This is in response to the April 22 article “After 99 days of Rough fire, Sequoia National Forest shows new growth.” I highly commend Rory Appleton for excellent reporting, and the Kings Canyon National Park spokesman and ecologist for doing a wonderful job describing the important ecological value of large, high-severity fires for the forest and its wildlife.

These fires are natural and necessary for our fire-dependent forests, and large fires that burn lots of trees actually create excellent habitat where many native plants and animals thrive. The sequoia is a perfect example.

The ecological value of large fires is known by scientists who specialize in studying burned forests, but is rarely discussed in the hyperbolic media coverage of fire and its aftermath.

Thank you for offering the public a more science-based view of the Rough fire. You have done a great service.

This story was originally published May 4, 2016 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Great job explaining Rough fire aftermath."