On Forest Litter ...

     
It is the belief of some that forest fires `clean up' the forests (clean up forest litter).  In all of my experience I have seen just the opposite.

Forest fires leave litter - not clean it up.

The forest fires I have seen leave messes.

  
     
Note logging operation in distance left forest a lot cleaner than fire.  
     
Here are some elk hiding in the litter left by the fire of 1996.

I will admit that fires open up good habitat for elk - but elk are a `Plains' animal - so allowing our mountain forests to burn to give them habitat doesn't make sense.