Trees are an essential link between nature and life on the planet. Unfortunately, we have endangered and destroyed them in numerous ways in the past, so we need to immediately take steps to prevent further damage, to ensure our future survival.

For seventy years, a slice of giant sequoia paradise containing the fifth largest tree has been privately owned, and this is about to change soon.

Bay Area conservation group Save the Redwoods League signed a deal to buy the largest privately owned giant sequoia forest in the world, a primeval landscape in California’s Southern Sierra Nevada with massive trees that soar 250ft/76.2m tall, span up to 80 ft/24.4m around at their trunks and live for over two millennia.

The property is known as Alder Creek and is located in Tulare County, 10 miles south of Sequoia National Park. The 530-acre (214 hectares) area is the home to 483 massive trees that are larger than six feet in diameter.

Alder Creek has been in the Rouch family for seven decades and, on September 17, 2019, Save the Redwoods League conservation organization announced that it will be purchasing this property, a plan that has been in the works for 20 years.

Sam Hodder, President, and CEO of Save the Redwoods League, explained that 16 family members of the Rouch family have collectively owned and stewarded it for the last 40 years.

He added:

“To get the League and all of the family members to agree on a single plan for the future of the property and to come together to make that decision so that the next generation didn’t have to is no small undertaking.”

On the other, hand, Mike Rouch, one of the current landowners said that the property is very important for the family, and the reason they are agreeing to sell it now has to do with the timing and financials being right for the family. He said:

“The League’s offer was good enough and it was time for the family to move forward.” 

Among the ancient trees in the magical land is the world’s fifth-largest tree, the Stagg Tree, which was named after a famous college football coach, Amos Alonzo Stagg. The Stagg Tree is wider than a two-lane road, taller than a 25-story building, and believed to be more than 3,000 years old.

Hodder calls Alder Creek Grove a “crown jewel of giant sequoia forests,” and claims that “the beauty of this place is beyond words. ”

He is asking for the public’s help to raise the required money by the end of the year to “fully protect this remarkable grove forever”:

“The need is urgent. If we don’t buy this property, we don’t know who will, or what they’ll do with it. Walking among these trees that have been growing since the earliest human civilizations, changes your understanding of the world and your place in it. We have to save this place.”

Forbes reported that more than 50% of the required $15.65 million has already been raised.

The total sum must be raised by December 31, 2019. To launch this public fundraising effort and inspire additional support, an anonymous donor has offered a challenge match, agreeing to match dollar-for-dollar all gifts received by December 31 up to $500,000.

You can also donate to support the protection and restoration of Alder Creek at SaveTheRedwoods.org/SaveAlder.

When the sale goes through, over 98 percent of the giant sequoia forest will be safeguarded in parks and reserves. The League hopes that in the next 5-10 years, they will transfer ownership of the forest to the U.S. Forest Service for inclusion in the Giant Sequoia National Monument.

In a press release, Becky Bremser, director of land protection for Save the Redwoods League, said:

 “By protecting this property, we will safeguard the biological richness and ecological resilience of a forest unlike any other on Earth — with giant sequoia trees that are thousands of years old, and nearly 500 with diameters six feet or larger. We also will create the opportunity for this extraordinary mountain forest to inspire the public in a truly special way.”

Additionally, the Rouch family has allowed the public to cross the property on a trail to see the Stagg Tree, and the League intends to continue this practice. Hodder added that they develop a public access plan and exploring opportunities for hiking trails, interpretation, education programming, etc.

Giant sequoia on Alder Creek  Sam Hodder, president and CEO of Save the Redwoods League, said: “Alder Creek is the most consequential giant sequoia conservation project of our lifetime. It’s the largest remaining giant sequoia property in private ownership, and a globally unique and extraordinarily beautiful landscape.”

The Stagg Tree is the fifth largest known tree in the world, thousands of years old The 530-acre Alder Creek property is the home to the famous Stagg Tree, the fifth-largest tree in the world, as well as hundreds of ancient giant sequoia, 483 of which have a diameter of six feet or larger.

Giant sequoia forests are one of the rarest ecosystems in the world, encompassing 48,000 acres. Giant sequoia occupy a small native range, we need to protect them. Alder Creek also contains robust stands of mature red fir, white fir, ponderosa pine, and sugar pine, and several other habitats, such as meadows, wetlands, and riparian woodlands.

Public Access to this magnificent place The League will work with Giant Sequoia National Monument and the local and regional community to plan and implement long-term public access to the property. This is believed to inspire visitors with the beauty of nature and ensure the health and resilience of the rare forest ecosystem.

Restoration and Reducing the Risk of Destructive Wildfire: The League will develop plans for restoration and stewardship activities.

Ongoing Protection and Future Stewardship The League plans to own and manage the property for 5- 10 years, implementing forest restoration and stewardship activities and developing public access plans. It will ultimately transfer the property to the US Forest Service for inclusion in Giant Sequoia National Monument.

“This is perhaps the most significant sequoia conservation opportunity in the last 65 years” Becky Bremser, the director of land protection for Save the Redwoods League, said in a press release:

“By protecting this property, we will safeguard the biological richness and ecological resilience of a forest unlike any other on Earth — with giant sequoia trees that are thousands of years old, and nearly 500 with diameters six feet or larger.  We also will create the opportunity for this extraordinary mountain forest to inspire the public in a truly special way.”

A Vision for the Future One of the main goals in the League’s Centennial Vision for Redwoods Conservation is protection of this site.

Nowadays, most of the remaining giant sequoia groves are held in public or tribal ownership, with only 1,200 acres privately owned.

The giant sequoia ecosystem is endangered by long-term climate change trend of Sierra Nevada snowpack reduction, warmer temperatures and widespread pine, fir, and cedar tree mortality due to drought and pests. The eventual transfer of Alder Creek to Giant Sequoia National Monument under U.S. Forest Service stewardship will ensure its long-term survival.

Save the Redwoods League Save the Redwoods League has been protecting and restoring redwood forests since 1918. They have 24,000 supporters who have enabled the League to protect over 216,000 acres of irreplaceable forest in 66 state, national and local parks and reserves.

Alder Creek is A Conservation Priority Giant sequoia forests are one of the rarest ecosystems on the planet, and as they occupy a small native range, it is of utmost importance to seize every opportunity to protect them.

The president This giant sequoia is over 3000 years old, and comprised of some 54,000 cubic feet (1530 cubic metres) of wood and bark. Photographer Michael Nichols captured the 250ft behemoth in Sequoia National Park.

Alder Creek, the largest remaining privately owned giant sequoia forest on the planet. Save the Redwoods League has announced the opportunity to buy Alder Creek.

Sources:
brightvibes.com
www.forbes.com
edition.cnn.com