From the text (p.153-154) ... 'It has been suggested, in Arizona and elsewhere, that removal of accumulated litter and duff by prescribed burning may reduce water retention and make more moisture available for streamflow. This effect is marginal in semiarid forests, and is unlikely to be significant in the more humid forests of the Southeast. Neither will the reduction of vegetation quantity by prescribed burning be an effective water conservation measure in the Southeast except under treatments so drastic that most cover is destroyed. So long as the site remains occupied by plants, with a leaf area index of perhaps 1.5 or more, transpiration will continue at very nearly the rate determined by the incoming energy supply rather than by the structure of the vegetation. For the same reason, prescribed burning, unless very drastic, is unlikely to aggravate the drainage problem in Coastal Plain areas of high water table. Sediment yields and nutrient levels in runoff after the first rains following a severe wildfire are often several times normal, particularly in steep mountainous areas (4). This need not be true of carefully planned burns in the more level country of the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain. In conclusion, it appears that properly managed prescribed burning should not adversely affect either the quality or the quantity of ground or surface water in the Southeast. This is particularly true if only relatively small areas are burned at one time and if they are interspersed among unburned tracts, a practice which is silviculturally desirable in any case. Caution does need to be used in combining nitrogen fertilization with fire treatment, especially on sandy soils.' From the text (p.157-158) ... 'My conclusion is that, while it may make management technology more difficult, in the long run we are more likely to have a permanently productive forest system if emphasis is put on small blocks, differing in age and composition, and each handled according to a different management prescription and operational schedule. This is contrary to the prevailing trend. It is likely to lead to fewer problems, nevertheless, than reliance on large even-aged pure stands all temporarily weakened at the same time by an extensive Prescribed burn in a single season. The latter, if the trend is carried too far, could be a prescription for disaster rather than for increased production. Prescribed Burning and Regional Land Use Policy: Following up those last remarks, I'd like to bring out a couple of things that have disturbed me about this conference. The papers and discussions have revolved around the pros and cons of prescribed burning within the context of even-aged pine silviculture. There has been no serious consideration of whether even-aged pine silviculture is indeed an optimal land-use policy for the Southeast. If it is not, the whole controversy evaporates. I suspect that pine culture is in fact an efficient land-use policy for this region, but that is only an assumption on my part. I would have liked to see a serious discussion of alternative land-use policies, including those in which prescribed burning would logically play no part. Secondly, even within the context of even-aged pine silviculture, there has been little discussion of alternatives to prescribed burning--their costs, benefits, advantages, and disadvantages. I fear that we have come close to accepting the fallacy of single-use planning for which the Corps of Engineers has been so widely castigated of late. Those who ultimately determine resource policy are increasingly demanding that technical people like ourselves present an array of alternatives for political and social choice. The proceedings of this conference are likely to comprise an excellent statement of the arguments for prescribed burning in the Southeast. They will be woefully incomplete, though, to the extent that they do not address themselves to the alternatives to prescribed burning as a management tool. Only through adequate consideration of all available alternatives can a sound regional land-use policy be formulated. Development of such a policy is a major task for research and for management in the future.'