The League strongly believes that a giant sequoia grove of this significance should be permanently protected and shared with the public. If we don’t purchase it, we can’t predict who will, or what their intentions will be.
There are only 48,000 acres of giant sequoia forest in the world, making every inch critically important. Of the 1,200 acres that remain unprotected, Alder Creek is by the far the largest and most ecologically important. The 530-acre property is a critically important piece of the protection of rare giant sequoia, and an exceptional example of ancient, wild California. It contains hundreds of ancient giant sequoia, 483 of which have a diameter of six feet or larger. These trees present a diversity of age classes, from young sprouts to towering trees that are thousands of years. Among these are Stagg Tree, believed to be the fifth biggest tree on the planet. It also supports mature forests of red fir, white fir, ponderosa pine, and sugar pine, and encompasses a variety of wildland habitats, including meadows and wetlands.