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The extremely fragile ecosystems which are home to the giant sequoias 

 include many other old growth tree species, including red, white and Douglas 

 fir, incense cedar, black oak and ponderosa, Jeffrey, western and sugar pine. 

 These forests provide a home for the California spotted owl, fisher and pine 

 marten. And in the future, if protected, these forests may again provide 

 nesting habitat for the California condor, as they did until a few years ago. 

 In fact, one of the last natural nesting sites for the condor was found in a 

 sequoia grove, but alas this was known only after the tree had been cut down. 



The Problem * 



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Despit-e worldwide acclaim and reverence, less than half of these amazing 

 trees are protected in national parks. The rest are on national forest land, 

 still subject to the adverse impacts from nearby logging and other 

 degradations. These forest ecosystems are already home to endemic, rare, 

 threatened and endangered species of plants and wildlife; further destruction 

 of these forests can only accelerate the extirpation or extinction of these 

 species. 



The Forest Service realized many years ago that these trees, some of the 

 oldest and largest living things on the face of the earth, should not be 

 destroyed. In fact, until a decade ago, the Regional Office of the Forest 

 Service had a policy of leaving sequoia groves intact- -groves were marked as 

 off-limits to logging. Then In 1982 the Forest Service, with no public 

 notice, abandoned the policy 'and embarked on a program to conduct timber sales 

 within giant sequoia groves. While enormous "specimen" trees of eight feet or 

 more in diameter were not cut down, the entire surrounding forests, including 

 younger giant sequoias, were clearcut. 



Since the Forest Service made Che decision that it was acceptable to 

 clearcut within the giant sequoia groves, many of the large and ancient giants 

 now stand naked Co the wind. The foresc around chem is ripped aparc. The 

 Foresc Service defended Chis practice as "grove enhancement." The theory was 

 that allowing sunlight In, and removing other tree species, would make it 

 easier for young sequoia seedlings to survive. But In fact, Chis disCurbance 

 probably put the remaining giant sequoias at greater risk. Their extremely 

 shallow roots are fragile and susceptible to damage caused by Che heavy 

 equipmenc needed for logging. And by removing Che surrounding crees, Che 

 Foresc Service has made the glanCs far more suscepcible Co windchrow and 

 drought. 



The Reaction 



Once they heard about Chis oucrage, the local conservacion communlcy 

 became decennined to protecc sequoia groves once and for all. Through filing 

 lawsuiCs and negociaclons over Che Foresc Plan, Chey were able Co get the 

 Forest Service to change its policy and stop cutting In Che sequoia groves. 

 However, uncil Che glanC sequoias are permanently protected by law, this 

 spectacular heritage is still at great risk in Che hands of Che Forest 

 Service. Its policies cannot be regarded as permanenc since Ic is an 



