wildfire

A forest road surrounded by burned redwood trees

Governor’s proposed funding for wildfire, state parks are bold steps in the right direction

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Today Governor Gavin Newsom announced a bold, responsible investment in funding for land conservation, forest restoration, climate adaptation, wildfire resilience and recovery. Funding will acquire new State Park land, restore fire resilience in California’s forests and launch renewed future for Big Basin and other state parks impacted by last year’s wildfires.

A bright green sprout growing from the base of a dark burned tree trunk

Reimagining Big Basin Redwoods

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Post-fire update and images from Big Basin Redwoods State Park, eight months after the CZU Lightning Complex fire

Burned redwood trees with green sprouts growing out of the bases and trunks

Post-wildfire lessons from San Vicente Redwoods

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Active stewardship and restoration at San Vicente Redwoods—which burned in the CZU Lightning Complex fire—is critical now as we approach the next fire season.

A view of a reservoir surrounded by forested mountains and a blue sky, framed by branches of an oak tree, with an owl flying through.

Reflections on nature during our pandemic year

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Spotting a barn owl in the wild, League President and CEO Sam Hodder reflects on the role nature has played in inspiring and sustaining people during a global pandemic.

Damaged Big Basin park gatehouse

Donors Worldwide Contribute $543,000 to Big Basin Redwoods State Park Recovery Following 2020 Wildfires

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Save the Redwoods League today announced the completion of the purchase of Cascade Creek, a 564-acre property between Big Basin Redwoods and Año Nuevo State Parks. The $9.6 million project — including both land acquisition, closing and initial stewardship costs — marks a keystone connection for protected habitat from the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. It also advances the League’s goal of protecting the last of the old-growth redwood forest as identified in their 2018 Centennial Vision for Redwoods Conservation.

Video: League forest expert talks about redwoods and fire

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League Director of Science Kristen Shive, PhD, gave a talk about California’s unprecedented fire season in 2020 and its effects on our iconic coast redwood and giant sequoia forests.

Cascade Creek: The future resilience of a fire-impacted landscape is secured

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Save the Redwoods League has safeguarded the long-term health of a keystone forest with the December 2020 purchase of the Cascade Creek property, home to old-growth and mature second-growth redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The acquisition creates continuous habitat from the mountains to the Pacific Ocean within the ancestral territory of the Quiroste Tribe.

Damage in Big Basin building

Fire Recovery at the Core of New Parks Effort

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The fire at Big Basin Redwoods State Park made headlines around the world, but it was far from the only redwood park to burn. Sadly, each of the parks forced to close by fire had only recently been reopened following the state’s COVID-19 stay-home order.

A view of wildfire damage in Big Basin, taken from the forest floor angled up to see the canopy.

How Will Redwoods Fare Under Wildfires in a Changing Climate?

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In the giant sequoia range, roughly 16,000 acres (or 34 percent of the range) had burned, most of which is old growth. We have yet to assess the fire effects on the ground, but as with most modern wildfires, there will likely be a mix of beneficial and detrimental ecological effects.

Redwood forest after the fire

After the fire: Big Basin Redwoods State Park

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It’s been about three months since fire swept through Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and we thought we’d check in on this remarkable coast redwood forest. As we’ve discussed, most of the redwoods will be OK. In the video, you can see the famed Mother of the Forest Tree, charred but still living and surviving. In all, fascinating to see a resilient forest evolve.