Redwoods Rising receives major Wildlife Conservation Board grant

$11 million in new funding bolsters ambitious redwoods conservation project

redwoods rising
Redwoods Rising collaborators tour restoration site.

In a massive offering of support to perhaps the most ambitious redwoods conservation project ever, the California Wildlife Conservation Board recently approved an $11 million grant to Save the Redwoods League for Redwoods Rising. Redwoods Rising is a collaboration of the League, California State Parks, and the National Park Service to restore tens of thousands of acres of previously logged redwood forest in Redwood National and State Parks. 

The grant was the largest of 25 grants approved in February by the WCB totaling approximately $51.83 million that will benefit fish and wildlife — including some endangered species — while others will provide public access to important natural resources. Funding for these projects comes from a combination of sources including the state’s General Fund, Habitat Conservation Fund and bond measures approved by voters to help preserve and protect California’s natural resources. 

The grant to Redwoods Rising will help to support forest restoration treatments of 1,200 acres, removal of 15 miles of road, installation of large wood structures in West Branch Mill Creek to improve habitat for state and federally listed coho salmon, support for the Apprenticeship Program from 2023-2026, and baseline monitoring of how streams and the wildlife that depend on them are responding to the restoration work. 

Since work began on the ground, Redwoods Rising has completed restoration on more than 2,600 acres; completed improvements on approximately 32 miles of roads; removed approximately 22 miles of roads; replaced or removed 34 stream crossings; installed one bridge and three temporary bridges; installed large wood at 26 sites within a 1-mile reach of Prairie Creek; positioned large wood within a 0.8-mile stretch of Bummer Lake Creek; restored 15,840 feet of stream channels; provided jobs for more than 100 people annually; hosted five fellows; and trained 54 apprentices. 

Redwoods Rising is supported by Save the Redwoods League as well as generous gifts from League Councilor John Scharffenberger, the Elizabeth R. and William J. Patterson Foundation, the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, Cotyledon Fund, and Oracle. 

The collaboration is also supported by public grants from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Forest Health Program as part of the California Climate Investments Program, National Park Service, California State Coastal Conservancy, and Wildlife Conservation Board. 

About the author

Since 1918, Save the Redwoods League has protected and restored redwood forests and connected people with their peace and beauty so these wonders of the natural world flourish.

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One Response to “Redwoods Rising receives major Wildlife Conservation Board grant”

  1. Lucy Johns

    Congratulations to all at SRL who probably put in countless hours to achieve this grant! Success reflects Redwoods Rising goals brilliantly, self-evident to anyone discovering them. So state persuaded to allocate this money not a surprise. ;-) Also including local tribes in restoration planning and execution must’ve been appealing. Would not have been the case not so long ago, thanks to SRL for realizing centrality of need to do that. 👏 💐

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