This summer the League sent many of you adescription of the Corridor from the Redwoods tothe Sea and asked for your help with a purchaseof 3800 acres in southern Humboldt County. Weare thankful for the very broad base of response:nearly 2000 of you, from 49 states and the Districtof Columbia, sent gifts ranging in size from $5 to$2,000, totalling more than $75,000. Weappreciate your recognition of the importance ofpreserving lands on a landscape scale to benefitthe complex of wildlife and flora which make upthe redwood forest and its associated habitats.We also appreciated the following editorial fromHumboldt County’s largest newspaper:

Times-Standard

OPINIONA Times-Standard editorial

Old-growth pact amodel for successWe wish every environmental dispute could besettled as amicably as the long-standingcontroversy over the Gilham Butte tract was thisweek. Through the efforts of Eel River Sawmills,the Save-the-Redwoods League, the state andfederal governments, five foundations, and morethan 1,000 private individuals, the issue has beenresolved to everyone’s satisfaction.

The lumber company has received a fair price forits land and timber, which it intends to use to buymore logs to keep its mills running and its workforce employed. Mattole Valley landowners arerelieved of worry that their property will suffererosion damage from upstream logging. Wildlifehas a corridor of old growth forest through whichit can move from the Eel River watershed to theMattole. Four important salmon spawningstreams are protected. And public land nowreaches unbroken from the largest old-growthredwood forest in the world to the longest stretchof roadless coast south of Canada.

Gilham Butte never achieved the nationalattention that was lavished on the not-too-distantHeadwaters Forest. It never was the focus ofgiant demonstrations, although lawsuits were filedwhen it appeared that the tract’s old-growthDouglas fir forest might be clearcut. And the $5.8million sale price is modest indeed compared tothe $380 million taxpayers ended up shelling outfor Headwaters.

But Gilham Butte may turn out to be even moreecologically important than its high-profileneighbor. Headwaters’ old-growth redwoods are arefuge for nesting marbled murrelets, a criticallyendangered species. There are no redwoods onthe butte, and probably no murrelets.

But it is a link between two of the North Coast’smost important conservation areas, and as such oftremendous biological significance. If animalscannot move around easily they do not survivenatural stresses such as epidemics and big forestfires. Populations become inbred and eventuallydwindle to extinction.

That is why preserving pockets of suitable habitat,isolated from one another, may not be enough tosave the rare species that live in them. One long,linked refuge is usually better than many separateparcels, even if the latter have more total territory.

Among the most intriguing possibilities is that theHumboldt pine marten may survive on or near thetract. A small mink-like carnivore that huntsflying squirrels, the marten was heavily trappedfor its valuable fur, and probably also sufferedfrom the loss of old-growth forest in the postwarlogging boom. It had been believed extinct sinceat least the 1950s.

Recently, biologists have found signs of pinemartens in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Havea few lonely individuals survived concealed in thecrowns of its giant trees? Or have martens fromthe Sierra Nevada somehow found their wayacross many miles of inhospitable territory tocolonize an area that’s again becoming marten-friendly?

Even the possibility that the only mammal uniqueto our region may yet be alive is exciting to manypeople. If it does really still exist, its chances ofcontinued survival will surely be improved by thepreservation of the Gilham Butte tract, and thelinking of the redwood park with the big KingRange conservation area.

Our thanks and congratulations to the Save-the-Redwoods League, Eel River Sawmills, andeveryone else whose hard work and intelligentcooperation made this mutually satisfactoryconclusion possible.

Would that it always went so well. ■

—From the Humboldt Times-Standard,Eureka, California, October 6, 1999

Dillonwood GroveWaterfalls over granite faces measure the steepdrop of the headwaters of the wild North Fork ofthe Tule River in the Dillonwood Grove at thefoot of Moses Mountain in the Southern SierraNevada. Giant Sequoias, thousands of years old,raise their stately massive heads at river’s edge.These monarch trees anchor half of the Garfield-Dillonwood Grove, one of the five largest of allGiant Sequoia groves. The Garfield grove isalready protected in adjoining Sequoia NationalPark.The League has recently completed negotiationsto purchase the 1540 acre Dillonwood Grove andis supporting legislative efforts led by UnitedStates Senator Dianne Feinstein, to expand thePark boundary to join Dillonwood to its sisterGarfield Grove. The League will have two yearsto raise the ten million dollars in private andpublic funding necessary to complete thispurchase of the largest remaining stand ofprivately owned Giant Sequoias.

For thousands of years, humans have shared theDillonwood Grove with wildlife including blackbear, mountain lions, and numerous smaller

species, many now threatened and endangered.Until the 1960s, California Condors ranged in thehigh remote reaches.

Obsidian remnants and granite grinding stonesindicate that Yaudanachi Yokut Indians may havehad a seasonal hunting or foraging camp as earlyas A.D. 240 on the high elevation benches atDillonwood, one of the oldest sites known in thearea.

In the early 1900s a mill was operated atDillonwood, fed by conifers from the areaincluding old growth Giant Sequoia. Huge GiantSequoia stumps remain today, interlaced with themulti-aged second growth Giant Sequoia forestthat now prospers in the forest openings left afterlogging, thanks in large part to the responsiblestewardship of the current owners.

Stands of Giant Sequoia of this age class do notexist in the National Park or elsewhere in therange of the Giant Sequoia, because of long-standing fire suppression policies. It now appearsthat natural regeneration of Giant Sequoia requiresthe forest openings and soil and seed conditionscreated by fire. Purchase of the DillonwoodGrove will protect permanently a uniquecomponent of the Giant Sequoia forest.

Photos by Ernest Braun.

new standards will apply to all timber harvestplans on Pacific Lumber Company’s lands andwill be enforceable by State as well as Federalagencies, for the next fifty years, thanks to theleadership of California State Senator Byron Sher.

Controversycontinues as theCompany seeks tocontinue timberharvest. TheCaliforniaDepartment ofForestry hasrecently requiredthat harvest on theCompany’s landadjacent to theHeadwaters old-growth grovecomply with thenew standards. Thismature secondgrowth forest,bordered to thenortheast by thepublicly owned 600-foot-wide bufferalong one fork of

the Elk River, issurrounded by the Headwaters Reserve. Publicownership of this “Hole” in the Headwaterswould make a logical extension of the protectionof the Reserve and its wildlife. To date, theCompany has indicated no interest in selling theselands, nor have funds been identified for theirpurchase.

The legislation appropriating $130 million for theState’s contribution to the Headwaters purchaseincluded an additional $100 million for thepurchase of two other old growth groves knownas the Owl Creek and Grizzly Creek groves.Grizzly Creek Grove, approximately 1400 acres,will be added to Grizzly Creek State Park,quadrupling its current size. The League and staffof the State’s Wildlife Conservation Board areengaged in negotiations to develop a fair appraisalof these stands and to complete their purchase.

The Headwaters Forest ReservePurchase of the 7500 acre Headwaters ForestReserve from Pacific Lumber Company in Marchthis year was an important milestone in savingredwoods. This high elevation, steep-slopedsurvivor of the ancient forest is now permanently

protected. The United States Bureau of LandManagement has opened a single trail to the edgeof the larger of the Reserve’s two old growthgroves. The difficulty of the long rugged hikethrough cutover forest lands will limit the numberof those who reach the quiet of the old growthgrove, where trees tower above the dense tangle ofmosses, ferns, and bushes blanketing the forestfloor.

Implementation of a Habitat Conservation Plan onPacific Lumber Company’s surrounding 190,000acres of forest land was an important part of thepublic benefit secured by the Headwaterspurchase. The Plan bars timber harvest in oldgrowth stands, necessary for the conservation ofthe marbled murrelet, an elusive rare seabird thatnests only in old growth trees. The Plan also barstimber harvest in buffer areas along streams inwhich the threatened coho salmon spawn. The

Headwaters. Photo by Evan Johnson.

The Redwood ForestThe Redwood Forest, written as part of theLeague’s Master Plan for the Redwoods, waspublished by Island Press on November 1. Notedconservation biologist Reed Noss editedcontributions from more than thirty leadingauthorities on redwood ecology and naturalhistory. The book includesthe results of ground-breaking research on topicslike redwood canopycommunities, the role of fogin sustaining redwoodforests, and the function ofredwood burls.

Since the arrival ofEuropean settlers, more than95% of the old-growthredwood forest has been cut.Human activity continues toimpact the sensitive faunasof redwood forests andstreams. The RedwoodForest makes clear that toavoid loss of an intactredwood ecosystem we mustpursue conservation effortson a landscape scale basedon an understanding offorest processes. It provides the scientific basis forthree types of action: protection, restoration, andsustainable management.

The Redwood Forest is available directly from theLeague for $35.00, including sales tax andshipping, or from Island Press or your favoritebook retailer.

“[The RedwoodForest] is anextraordinaryscientific treatmentof the coastalredwood forests thatshould be theprimary reference forall interested parties.… This book createsa model thathopefully will befollowed for otherimportant foresttypes throughout theglobe.”

—Jerry Franklin,Professor of

Ecosystem AnalysisUniversity ofWashington

A broad-based coalition of environmental groupsworking with the California Legislature andGovernor Gray Davis has succeeded in placing ameasure for park bonds on the March 2000 ballot.Proposition 12 is an opportunity for Californiavoters to approve $2.1 billion in bonds to expandand maintain State and local parks. $10 millionwill be set aside for matching funds to purchaseredwood forest lands

Funds from the last park bonds approved in 1988were exhausted years ago. Facilities at State andlocal parks have deteriorated, and purchase ofsensitive lands by the State for addition to parkshas virtually halted. Opportunities to meet thepark needs of the State’s ever-expandingpopulation are lost every day.

Your vote for Proposition 12 will provide criticalfunding for the State Department of Parks andRecreation to care for and to provide a highquality experience for visitors to the State’sredwood parks. The League’s strategic plan hasidentified passage of a park bond measure as oneof the key action steps necessary to achieve theLeague’s goals.

Further information about Proposition 12 isavailable on the World Wide Web at safeparks.org.Your support for the bond in conversation withfriends and neighbors, and in local organizations,will help pass this measure.

The March ballot will also include a $1.97 billionclean water bond that will provide funds forwatershed acquisition and restoration, some ofwhich will be available for redwood forests.

Vote Yes on Proposition 12!

Fog rolls in over the Corridor from the Redwoods to the Sea. Photos by Chuck Ciancio, digital image by Libby George.

From the TreasurerTo the League’s members and supporters:

Save-the-Redwoods League continues to enjoy astrong financial position, while increasing the sizeand pace of redwood land acquisitions andstepping up the League’s education and publicawareness efforts.

As of March 31, 1999, the League’s cash andinvestments stood at $19.6 million andcontributions receivable totalled $10.7 million(Figure A).

In order to smooth the year-end workload for theLeague’s staff, the Board of Directors has changedthe League’s fiscal year end from December 31 toMarch 31 for financial and tax reporting purposes.

During the fifteen-month period ended March 31,1999, the League spent $7.8 million to purchase690 acres of redwood lands. The League alsocompleted the transfer of the Coast Dairiesproperty to another non-profit agency for interimmanagement until it is transferred to publicownership.

The acquisition of the 7000-acre Coast Dairiesproperty by the League resulted in preservation offive miles of spectacular coastline, redwood forest,and open space in Santa Cruz County. This is anexample of the League’s increased conservationefforts and our sense of urgency as we move intothe next century.

The League’s administration and fundraisingconsumed only 5% of total expenses during thefiscal year ending March 31, 1999 (Figure B).This is consistent with the League’s historicalpattern of maximizing the use of contributionsreceived from League members for achieving ourconservation goals.

The League’s Board of Directors is committed tosignificantly increasing the League’s resources inthe coming months so that the League willcontinue to have an impact.

Sincerely,

Frank W. WentworthTreasurer

1998 - 1999 Financial Review

The Save-the-Redwoods League office has beenin the Adam Grant Building, 114 Sansome Streetin San Francisco, for sixty years. The League hasoutgrown its space on the sixth floor and we arepleased to be moving in January 2000 to largeroffices on the twelfth floor.

We would welcome your visit in the new year.

League Office to Move

Memorial and honor grovesestablished in 1999:

Big Basin Redwoods State ParkFrank L. Babbott, Jr. Grove

Del Norte Coast Redwoods State ParkBerniece Ryan - Cornelia A. Tomes Memorial Grove

Humboldt Redwoods State ParkBoyer & Hamilton Families Memorial Grove

Ruby Hale Field Grove

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State ParkEdward T. Planer, Sr. & Mabel Planer Grove

Tomiyasu Family Grove

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State ParkWilliam F. Allewelt, Sr. Grove

Amelia Earhart Grove Addition

Navarro River Redwoods State ParkGeorge and Mary Gardner Grove

Prairie Creek Redwoods State ParkWalter S. Bloom Memorial Grove

Jolley-Hootman Family GroveShirley Resnick Memorial Grove

Maurice William & Claire Ruth Savage Grove

The Save-the-Redwoods League regrets to reportthe deaths of three distinguished Councillors:Charles Daly, James Gilligan, and Wilson Riles.

Charles Daly was an owner of Daly’s departmentstore, founded in Eureka by his father and unclein 1895. He was one of the early supporters ofredwood protection in Humboldt County. Hejoined the Council in 1940 and maintained hisinterest in the League for nearly sixty years.

James Gilligan joined the Council in 1966. Hewas a professor of forestry, Extension Forester forthe University of California, and was a wonderfulresource for the League and many others whostudied the management of redwood forests foreconomic and ecological values.

Wilson Riles joined the Council in 1977, while hewas Superintendent of Public Instruction for theState of California. He first encountered theLeague when he helped promote the CaliforniaPTA Grove among the state’s educators.

In Memoriam Revisiting the Dawn Redwoods

We went first to Beijing where we met withrepresentatives of the Chinese Academy ofForestry, the National Herbarium, and theBeijing Botanical Garden. Later, in HunanProvince, we were joined by Chineseacademicians and park officials for the trip upinto the mountain area that Chaney visited in1948. Along the way we stopped in a pair ofvillages where three large Metasequoias grow.We were received with great pleasure andexcitement by the local villagers who made itclear that they not only revered theirMetasequoias but had fought to protect them.

Continuing north, we travelled for many hourson winding gravel roads until we arrived in thesecluded valley where the world’s lastMetasequoia forest, some 5,000 trees, still clingsto life. Along the way the roads were lined withcarefully planted dawn redwoods and otherconifers, but we could see that the whole areahad been heavily logged and was only beginningto recover. Grazing, soil erosion, conversion tointensive agriculture, and urban developmenthave replaced all but scattered fragments ofcentral China’s native forest.

Today it is illegal to cut a dawn redwood. It’seven illegal to trim Metasequoia branches forfirewood, but cones are collected for their seedsand millions of seedlings are grown for sale. Asa result, no natural regeneration is occurring.Unless something more is done to ensure thesurvival of Metasequoia as a natural forestspecies, an extraordinary chapter in forest historywill inevitably come to end. The dawn redwoodwill become merely a nursery plant—a cultivar, adecorative, domesticated commodity—totallyremoved from the mixed conifer/hardwood forestin which it has survived for 65 million years.

In May 1999, a delegation from Save-the-Redwoods League, including Councillor JosephH. Engbeck, Jr., travelled to China to investigatethe status of Metasequoia glyptostroboides, thedawn redwood. The League delegation wasfollowing in the footsteps of Professor RalphChaney, world-renowned paleobotanist andpresident of the League, whose trip to China in1948 was both momentous and widely publicized.Mr. Engbeck, who is writing a book on the historyof the redwood forest preservation movement,gave us this account:

Honor GrovePortola Redwoods State Park

Fred W. Ruhland, 1995Earl K. Dore, 1995

Ross Elliot Peckat, 1995Edwin S. Thomas, 1995

David Sarlin, 1996David McCosker Family, 1996

Clara Horton Jenkins, 1996Kathmann & Lange Families, 1996Ruby Hale Field, 1897 - 1997, 1997

Brian & Michael Starr, 1997Cynthia C. Gish, 1998

Mabel Thacher Edwards, 1998Adelaide Virginia Black, 1998

Frederick R. & Sonia V. Scheerer, 1999Analisa Bosche Adams, 1999

Save-the-Redwoods League is a California non-profit corporationorganized under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Save-the-Redwoods League114 Sansome Street, Room 605

San Francisco, CA 94104

http://www.savetheredwoods.orgsaveredwoods@igc.org

Since 1920 the Memorial and Honor GroveProgram has been a major source of support forthe League’s success in building redwood parks.Park staff play a pivotal role in the GroveProgram. This summer a family visited theirgrandmother’s grove in Humboldt RedwoodsState Park. Rangers cleared and marked the trailinto the grove, ferried the family across the EelRiver in a boat because the usual summer bridgehad been washed away, helped two elderlyvisitors climb the hill to the grove with ropes, andeven took photos so the whole family could betogether. Please contact the League if you wouldlike to visit or establish a grove yourself.

Memorial and Honor GiftsHonor Groves offer an opportunity to name anindividual tree for someone; the name is recordedon the map of the grove so future visitors can findthe exact tree.

New honor and memorial trees:

Honor Grove SouthHumboldt Redwoods State Park

George Edward Polansky, 1998Ms. Gloria R. Barron, 1998Beverly Ann Miklich, 1998

Elaine Fox, 1998Geoffrey Howard Martin, 1999

Katherine Hoyt McCaughey, 1999Nadine Bixby Kirk, 1999

The original Honor Groves, established in 1971and 1985, are now filled. The Honor Grove atPortola Redwoods, established in 1995, and theHonor Grove South at Humboldt Redwoods,established in 1998, have beautiful trees availablefor naming.

If you are interested in including the League inyour estate planning and would like a copy ofour new planned giving brochure, call the officeat (888) 836-0005.

The Honor Grove in Humboldt Redwoods State Park as itappeared in 1935. Photo by Schoeb.

Check our web site for holiday gift ideas that alsohelp support redwood parks!