Four photographs of El Capitan show the impacts of vegetation growth on scenic vistas.
The Scenic Vista Management Plan is needed to reestablish and maintain Yosemite National Park's iconic views, vistas, and discrete lines of sight that are obscured by vegetation growth. When the park was originally set aside, vegetation patterns were much more open, with unblocked views and open meadows. Open oak woodlands allowed for easy viewing of granite walls and waterfalls in Yosemite Valley. The mix of meadows with low and high density forests throughout the park was maintained by natural (unplanned ignition) wildfires that burned in mosaic patterns.
