[Inyo-Mono]

Why is it then that when you compare pictures of the area from Civil War photos to modern photos, the forests there were MORE denuded in the 1860s than they are now? Why are the views from the "scenic overlooks" along the road through the park blocked by an overgrowth of trees around the pull-offs.

That same situation is true here in the West. Photos from the 1860s, 1870s and 1880s when the far West was first being settled show many fewer pine trees than shown in photos taken from the same points today. Back then you could ride a horse through the forest at a full gallup without worry of running into a tree.

[claudiustg]

---That same situation is true here in the West. Photos from the 1860s, 1870s and 1880s when the far West was first being settled show many fewer pine trees than shown in photos taken from the same points today.---

Back east in particular, a lot of the forests were clear-cut to make way for farms. Now they've grown back. Walk through practically any forest in Massachusetts and you'll run into stone walls from where the land was cleared more than a hundred years ago.

The problems with ozone, acid rain, and the development of prime watersheds is very real though. In upstate New York much of the land was set aside to ensure an antiquate watershed for future needs.