Thanks to our members, Save the Redwoods League has purchased 320 acres of forestland that buffer the amazing giant sequoias of Calaveras Big Trees State Park! Our members’ gifts also qualified the League in May 2010 for an anonymous donor’s $150,000 in matching funds to support this project.
Bordering the park on three sides, the $550,000 Beaver Creek property is a ridgeline forest on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains. This forest parcel is home to a 226-foot-tall, 6½-foot-wide giant sequoia (pictured, right). Wildlife is abundant in the area; the forest provides excellent California mountain lion habitat and the imperiled spotted owl has been observed nearby. It’s also part of the vital Stanislaus River watershed.
We purchased the Beaver Creek property according to our science-based Master Plan, which includes buffering Earth’s 77 remaining giant sequoia groves from the impacts of development and incompatible forestry practices and saving cooler, higher ground for the trees, a potential solution for addressing rapid climate change.
Beaver Creek, at 5,000 feet above sea level, is a potential future sanctuary for more giant sequoias. Meanwhile, we are planning to restore logged portions of the property to create a diverse forest ecosystem that functions more naturally. Trees will be planted in recently logged areas, and some will be cut where trees were planted too close together. This thinning will reduce fire risk and encourage more vigorous growth in the remaining trees.
Tags: Beaver Creek, calaveras big trees, calaveras big trees state park, giant sequoia