Heavy equipment operators with California State Park staff removing a segment of a defunct logging road in the Greater Mill Creek area within Redwood National and State Parks. Photo credit: CA State Parks Field Staff
Heavy equipment operators remove biomass from Redwoods Rising project sites to improve forest and watershed health. Vegetation removed from the forest during restoration work is processed and sold as lumber, chips or biofuel and revenue is reinvested into the restoration program. Photo credit: Jim Campbell-Spickler
California State Parks, National Park Service, and Save the Redwoods League teams and partners celebrate the five-year anniversary of Redwoods Rising. Photo by Max Forster, California State Parks.
Event participants learn about Redwoods Rising forest restoration from RNSP Superintendent Steve Mietz. Photo by Max Forster, California State Parks.
Jason Teraoka, Redwood National and State Parks forester, discusses the benefits of Redwoods Rising on previously clear-cut second-growth redwood forest ecosystems. Photo by Max Forster, California State Parks.
Touring a restoration site in Redwood National Park. Photo by Max Forster.
Two-thirds of Redwood National and State Parks (about 80,000 acres) were severely impacted by decades of commercial logging before being protected as public parkland. Photo credit: Dave Van de Mark
Two-thirds of Redwood National and State Parks (about 80,000 acres) were severely impacted by decades of commercial logging before being protected as public parkland. Today, much of the historically logged areas look like this densely-growing, second-growth forest. Photo credit: Lathrop Leonard, California State Parks
Two-thirds of Redwood National and State Parks (about 80,000 acres) were severely impacted by decades of commercial logging before being protected as public parkland. Today, much of the historically logged areas look like this densely-growing, second-growth forest. Photo credit: Lathrop Leonard, California State Parks
Redwood National and State Parks is home to both ancient, healthy old-growth forests (top) and dark, dense second-growth forests that have regrown in previously logged areas (bottom). Photo by Andrew Slack, Save the Redwoods League
Redwood National and State Parks is home to 45 percent of the world’s remaining protected old-growth redwoods. Photo credit: Eco-Ascension Research and Consulting
Old-growth coast redwoods in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, part of Redwood National and State Parks. Photo credit: Andrew Slack, Save the Redwoods League
Old-growth coast redwoods along the Prairie Creek Trail in Redwood National and State Parks. Photo by S. Niehans, National Park Service
Residual old-growth redwoods rise above a forest that was logged before the area in the Redwood Creek watershed became part of Redwood National and State Parks. Photo by Mike Shoys
2019 Redwoods Rising Apprentices. Photo by Save the Redwoods League. Back Row (left to right): Samantha Pincus (Watershed Rehabilitation Apprentice), Christopher Villaruel (Exotics Management Apprentice), Steven Hopper (Watershed Rehabilitation Apprentice), Julia Martinez (Rare Plants Apprentice), Skylr Lopez (Rare Plants Apprentice), Laura Morgan (Rare Plant Botany Crew Lead, CSP), Ryan Thompson (Wildlife Apprentice), Henri Holbrook (Forestry Crew Lead, CSP), Christopher Collier (Wildlife Apprentice), Cameron Miller (Forestry Apprentice), Mae McLean (Rare Plant Botany Crew Lead, CSP), Caitlyn Allchin (Rare Plants Apprentice) Middle Row (left to right): Sarah McGee (Hydrology Apprentice), Ryann Howard (Forestry Apprentice), Lathrop Leonard (Forester I, CSP), Judson Fisher (Exotics Management Apprentice), Anton Bokisch (Watershed Rehabilitation Apprentice), Haley Isaacson (Watershed Rehabilitation Apprentice), Macy Budesilich (Rare Plants Apprentice), Front Row, (left to right): Dillon Martin (Forestry Apprentice), Walter Mackelburg (Hydrology Crew Lead, CSP), Caleb Van Rossum (Forestry Apprentice), Brett Crandall (Hydrology Apprentice), Matthew Morassutti (Redwoods Rising Fellow, League).
To restore previously logged forests (TOP PHOTO) in Redwood National and State Parks, the League and the parks are removing trees to open up growing space for the remaining trees. This practice allows the trees to recover full canopies, increase growth, and put the forest on a quicker path to old-growth form and function like the forest in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (BOTTOM PHOTO). Photos by Andrew Slack.
Redwoods Rising restoration work. Photo by Andrew Slack, Save the Redwoods League
Holter Ridge after restoration thinning by Redwoods Rising in Redwood National Park. Photo by Andrew Slack, Save the Redwoods League
Redwoods Rising restoration work. Photo by Andrew Slack, Save the Redwoods League
A previously logged second growth forest in Redwood National Park. To restore this forest some of the trees will be cut to open up growing space for the remaining trees. This will allow the trees to recover full canopies, increase growth, and put the forest on a quicker path to old growth. Photo by Andrew Slack, Save the Redwoods League
Decommissioning a logging road sets the forest on the path to the re-emergence of redwood giants. Photo by Mike Shoys
Redwoods Rising restoration work. Photo by Andrew Slack, Save the Redwoods League
Old-growth redwood forest at Mill Creek stands behind a previously logged area that was densely reseeded with Douglas-fir. Photo by Lathrop Leonard, California State Parks
Selective thinning of densely packed forests allows for healthy growth and maturity. Photo by Mike Shoys
Redwoods Rising restoration work. Photo by Andrew Slack, Save the Redwoods League