Karp is an ambassador for the forest

PROVO — One of the darkest days in Uinta National Forest Supervisor Pete Karp's administration was Sept. 23, 2003, when black smoke filled the skies over three counties and infuriated people who didn't understand the need for "prescription burns."

As many saw it, one of Karp's jobs was to prevent forest fires.

But on that day the U.S. Forest Service not only didn't prevent the fire, they caused it as officials tried to burn 600 acres of 150-year-old oak underbrush.

Dubbed the Cascade Fire II for its proximity to Cascade Springs, the prescribed burn got out of control and burned more than 8,000 acres before it was contained.

It also damaged the Forest Service's image.

Setting a match to the forest is always a dangerous situation, said Karp.

In retrospect, Karp takes a positive spin on the fire that then was viewed as a disaster.

"It was mostly successful," he now says. "From an environmental standpoint, the results were positive. The forest has rejuvenated."

The Forest Service's relationship with the state Department of Environmental Quality has also improved since then, he added.

At the time the Forest Service faced harsh criticism for letting the controlled burn get away. The state fined the federal agency $33,000. The money went into improving the forest with most of it going to purchase portable weather monitors to help prevent a repeat experience, he said.

"It was not a good situation. Living in smoke is not a good thing," Karp said. "It was a learning experience."

The 58-year-old chief retired this week after more than 14 years at the helm of the forest that covers most of the Wasatch Front — just short of 1 million acres. The forest land stretches from Point of the Mountain near Salt Lake City on the north to Nephi in south Utah County.

Karp has also been instrumental in launching the demonstration fee structure for visits to American Fork Canyon. Begun in 1997, the Forest Service set up kiosks to collect the fees at the mouth of the canyon and near Sundance on the eastern side of the canyon. That brings in as much as $500,000 in fees every year, he said.

While many forest users grumbled at the new fee, the money has helped pay to improve the canyon and to enrich the experience of folks who go there, he said.

Most of the fees have been spent to improve the campgrounds and trailheads and to pay for stepped-up Utah County sheriff patrols. As a result, safety has improved.