ABSTRACT
Planning for fire use was probably largely intuitive, but was also based on generations of trial and error, with serious consequences if the wrong choice was made. Either too much or too little fire would damage fragile resources upon which the community depended. In the absence of a written language, oral traditions were followed to hand down forest management techniques from generation to generation. Typically this was from grandparent to grandchild, perhaps to ensure it was transmitted as far ahead as possible. By nature this approach was conservative. Since the economy was largely subsistence and transport of large objects out of the forest was not feasible, resource exploitation rarely exceeded the sustainability of the land. However, oral plans can be just as effective as the written plans we depend upon today, in the same way that oral contracts can have similar legal standing to written ones. Essential planning elements, including clear objectives, timing, location and application technique were all used. The maintenance of pine and oak for food and fuel, of grasses and herbaceous plants for food and medicine, and open ground for hunting and travel were essential resources of the day that depended upon planning and execution.
