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The Sequoia Natioaal Forest borders oo the Mojave Desert All experts agreed 

 diat the type of dearcutting which occurred in the Sequoia during the last decade and the 

 cutting that continues today affects the microclimate o( the fcsest The effects of the 

 microclimatic change raises more questions than absolute answers about the continued 

 existence of the giant sequoia. Prudence dictates that, if we are to err at all, that we do so 

 on die side of caution and preservadon. The Sequoia are too precious to sacrifice. 



One has to wonder whether Sequoia National Forest is even a logical place for 

 America to harvest wood fiber. Aside fix)m the fact that it hosts giant sequoia groves that 

 belong in a national pari^ it features steep, rugged terrain and soils classified as "erosive" 

 and "highly erosive." Prec^itation is low even outside of drought periods, regeneration 

 has been historically poor, aiul timber-sale program is one of the biggest money losers - 

 by some measures the biggest - in the national forest system. And as if that is not 

 enough, the Forest Service's own estimate is that recreation's potential value at the forest 

 is six times greater that the land's timber value. This a forest that is within a four-hour 

 drive of two major population centers in a state whose population over the next 20 years 

 is expected to junqi from 31 million to SO million. 



In place of a diverse forest, in die minority of areas where regeneration has 

 succeeded, giant sequoia groves that woe logged seveiad years ago are now 

 predominated by an even-aged monoculture - straight rows of small, evenly spaced pine 

 trees diat the Foiest Service planted. These once magnificent groves have been relegated 

 to tree plantatioas. "Giant sequoia Qrpically occupied the better timber grovdng sites," a 

 SequcHa offidal lias oqilained, "and there were c^portiinities for inciea^ng timber 

 {xodttctivity oa antiooal forest land.* 



