Many of the last remaining unprotected giant sequoia groves on federal land were designated as the Sequoia National Monument on April 15, 2000. Using authority under the Antiquities Act, President Bill Clinton designated 328,000 acres of federal land as the Sequoia National Monument in central California's Sequoia National Forest.
Years of Effort to Protect Sequoia
Conservationists, including The Wilderness Society, worked for years to protect the sequoias and the landscape they live in, dubbed the "Range of Light" by John Muir.
"With the president's action, the giant sequoia -- the sentinel trees of the Sierra Nevada -- will forever stand as a monument to our nation," said Jay Watson, Director of The Wilderness Society's California/Nevada regional office. "There are people who have been working for 25 years to see the giant sequoia protected. It's a thrill to see their dreams realized."
While the monument designation was a giant step towards permanently safeguarding the ancient sequoias, we will continue working to ensure that the management plan to be developed for the new monument provides the best possible protection for these ancient groves.
Protecting Sequoias on National Forests
A little less than half of California's remaining giant sequoias fall within the protected boundaries of Kings Canyon, Sequoia, and Yosemite National Parks. But the remaining groves, about 40 in all, are on National Forest and thus threatened by multiple activities that characterize national forest use. The new monument included 34 of the groves.
Although in 1992 President Bush prohibited logging within the giant sequoia groves, these stands are only protected by an insignificant 1,000-foot buffer encircling individuals groves, which does little against the effects of destructive activities on adjacent lands. Timber harvesting within watersheds and fire suppression are degrading the sensitive lands on which these great trees grow -- some of which have survived for 2,000 years.
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