Redwood

Lore & Background

The Gold Rush and attendant timber business unleashed a torrent of activity, adversely affecting the indigenous peoples of the area and supplying lumber to the West Coast. Decades of unrestricted clear-cut logging ensued, followed by ardent conservation efforts. In the 1920s, the Save the Redwoods League helped create Prairie Creek, Del Norte Coast, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Parks, among others.

Reader's Guide

The parks protect the endangered coast redwood, which thrives in the humid temperate rainforest, and preserve 37 miles of pristine coastline, indigenous flora, fauna, grassland prairie, cultural resources, waterways, and threatened animal species such as the Chinook salmon, northern spotted owl, and Steller's sea lion. The park region is highly seismically active and prone to tsunamis.

Did You Know?

• The parks preserve 45 percent of all remaining old-growth coast redwood forests.
• The park region is highly seismically active and prone to tsunamis.

Common Misconceptions (Editorial)

Some people think the Redwood National and State Parks are solely a national park, but the complex actually includes three California state parks as well. Others may assume the old-growth redwood forests have mostly been lost to logging, yet the parks preserve 45 percent of all remaining old-growth coast redwood forests.

Why It Matters (Editorial)

The Redwood National and State Parks stand as a living monument to both the destructive force of human industry and the power of conservation. Protecting nearly half of all remaining old-growth coast redwoods, these parks remind us that even after decades of clear-cut logging, determined preservation efforts can safeguard irreplaceable natural wonders for future generations.