Press Releases

Red Hill Grove provides critical habitat for a wide variety of rare, threatened and endangered species, including the northern spotted owl. Photo by Tom Kogut/USFS, Flickr Creative Commons

Save the Redwoods League Opposes Four Harmful Changes to the Endangered Species Act—Seeks Comments by December 21

by Save the Redwoods League on

Habitat loss and destruction are the primary threats to endangered species. These proposed changes would undercut some of the ESA’s ability to prevent species loss and protect the critical habitats that endangered species depend upon. Stripping these protections runs counter to ecological science, legal precedent and the core intent of the ESA—to conserve species and the ecosystems they rely on to survive. If the strict protections in the Endangered Species Act are dismantled, it will weaken the ability to protect more redwood landscapes in the future.

Chris Swanston leaning against a birch tree in autumn

Save the Redwoods League Names Chris Swanston, Ph.D., as Director of Science

by Save the Redwoods League on

Chris Swanston, Ph.D., has been named director of science, a key position for Save the Redwoods League, one of the nation’s first science-based conservation organizations. The League relies on high-quality scientific research to inform its protection and restoration efforts across the coast redwood and giant sequoia ranges.

Benjamin Friedman

Save the Redwoods League Names Ben Friedman as Director of Government Affairs & Public Funding

by Save the Redwoods League on

Save the Redwoods League announced today that Ben Friedman has been promoted to director of government affairs and public funding. His position is key to supporting the programmatic capacity of the League, which works to protect and restore coast redwood and giant sequoia ecosystems. Friedman will report to Paul Ringgold, chief program officer.

Aerial view of a vast, lush redwood forest with rolling hills covered in dense evergreen trees. Low-lying mist drifts through the towering redwoods, creating a serene and ethereal atmosphere.

Monte Rio Redwoods Regional Park Quadruples in Size with Newly Conserved Addition

by Save the Redwoods League on

The Monte Rio Redwoods Regional Park Expansion is now officially protected, thanks to the efforts of Save the Redwoods League and its partners! This 1,517-acre addition secures vital redwood forest, wildlife habitat, and salmon streams in Sonoma County. Thanks to the generous support of the California Wildlife Conservation Board and our incredible partners, this land will be permanently protected and eventually opened for public access.

coastal beach view

“This is Where You Live” – Celebrate Fourth Annual California State Parks Week June 11-15

by Save the Redwoods League on

Mark your calendars and start making plans to join California State Parks and partners in celebrating the fourth annual California State Parks Week from June 11-15. Presented by California State Parks, California State Parks Foundation, Parks California and Save the Redwoods League, this exciting weeklong celebration with the tagline “This is Where You Live” offers more than 170 events, including both in-person and virtual experiences, highlighting the people, places and programs that make California’s 280 state parks truly unique.

Yosemite’s Majestic Giants

Save the Redwoods League Applauds Reintroduction of Save Our Sequoias Act

by Save the Redwoods League on

Save the Redwoods League supports the bipartisan Save Our Sequoias (SOS) Act, important legislation that empowers federal, Tribal, state and nonprofit partners to accelerate forest restoration, reduce hazardous fuels and safeguard the world’s largest trees from the increasingly destructive wildfires in California’s Sierra Nevada.

Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point.

Save the Redwoods League Statement on Federal Directives to Increase Timber Production

by Save the Redwoods League on

Forests need site-specific, science-based stewardship, not broad emergency declarations. As a conservation organization focused on restoring complex forest ecosystems in the coast redwood and giant sequoia ranges, Save the Redwoods League agrees with the USDA that the nation faces a serious crisis of forest health and wildfire risk—one that the USDA Forest Service is well positioned to address. However, the USDA Secretary’s April memo problematically blurs the line between ecological restoration, which aims to heal ecosystems, and timber harvest for commercial gain, which prioritizes extraction and profit over long-term forest health.

New Report Shows Significant Socioeconomic Benefits of Large-scale Restoration Projects in Redwood National and State Parks Region

by Save the Redwoods League on

A new report, Assessing the Restoration Economy within Redwood National and State Parks, highlights the economic opportunities created by large-scale restoration efforts in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. As the region moves beyond its history of industrial-scale logging, programs like Redwoods Rising and ‘O Rew Redwoods Gateway are driving economic growth through environmental restoration. Led by Save the Redwoods League and California State Parks, these initiatives are bringing revenue, quality jobs, and lasting conservation benefits to Northern California’s redwood country—helping to revitalize an economically disadvantaged area while restoring one of the world’s most iconic ecosystems.

Steve Mietz

Save the Redwoods League Names Steve Mietz as Next President and CEO of Save the Redwoods League

by Save the Redwoods League on

Save the Redwoods League announced today that its board has selected veteran national park and public lands conservation leader Steve Mietz as the new president and CEO of the century-old nonprofit. Mietz will join the League on April 28 and carry forward the organization’s mission to protect, restore and connect people to the iconic coast redwood and giant sequoia forests of California. Most recently, Mietz served as superintendent of Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) for nearly eight years.

Coast redwoods forest dotted hillsides

Save the Redwoods League Enters Agreement to Purchase 1,500+ Acres of Redwood Forest That Will Expand Adjacent Regional Park Near Russian River in Sonoma County

by Save the Redwoods League on

Save the Redwoods League has secured an opportunity to conserve the 1,517-acre Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion property in Sonoma County. Less than two hours north of San Francisco, the Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion will link more than 22,000 acres of coastal redwoods forest, wildlife corridors and watershed, from the Bohemian Highway to the Sonoma Coast and north to Jenner Headlands.

Sam Hodder inspecting a stand of mature redwoods

Sam Hodder, President and CEO of Save the Redwoods League, Announces Plans to Step Down After More than a Decade Leading 107-year-old Conservation Organization

by Save the Redwoods League on

After 11 years leading one of the nation’s oldest and most beloved conservation organizations, Sam Hodder announced today that he has decided to step down as president and CEO of Save the Redwoods League on March 31, 2025, at the close of the organization’s current fiscal year. A search for the League’s next leader will commence immediately, led by Vice Chair of the League’s Board of Directors Rosemary Cameron.