Saving the Redwoods
As spectacular as these redwood forests are, their
protection was slow to gain broad support. One
of the earliest organized efforts to save redwoods
was led by the Sempervirens Club. In 1902, they
cnvinced the California legislature to appropriate
funds for the purchase of the first state redwood
park. Congressman William Kent also joined the
effort. He personally bought and donated 295
acres of redwoods outside San Francisco to the
federal government. His gift led to the creation
of the Muir Woods National Monument in 1908.
Save-the-Redwoods League was founded in 1918
to purchase redwoods and convert the land to
public trust. Numerous groves were protected and
redwood state parks created through the League's
effords, including Del Norte Coast Redwoods,
Jedediah Smith Redwoods, and Prairie Creek
Redwoods State Parks.
A renewed effort to establish a national redwood
park began in the early 1960s. Those efforts were
augmented in 1963 when a National Geographic
survey team discovered several trees along
Redwood Creek that were taller than any
previously known. This discovery helped lead
to the establishment of Redwood National Park
in October of 1968.
Don't miss the rest of our virtual tour of Redwoods National Park in 1780 images.