Redwood National and State Parks | |
---|---|
Location | California, USA |
Nearest city | Crescent City, CA |
Area | 112,512 acres (455 km²) |
Established | January 1, 1968 |
Visitors | 391,282 (in 2004) |
Governing body | National Park Service |
Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) is comprised of one federal and three state parks that are jointly administered in an effort to protect a large portion of the remaining Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) trees, the tallest trees on earth. Located entirely in the U.S. state of California, approximately 45% of all remaining old growth redwoods are protected by these parks. Redwood National and State Parks consists of the original National Park, created on October 2, 1968, as well as Prairie Creek, Del Norte Coast and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Parks, all of which were administratively combined in May 1994. The park preserves habitat along the northern Pacific coast of California and includes 37 miles (59.5 km) of pristine coastline. By the time the federal and state parks merged, the United Nations had already designated Redwood National Park a World Heritage Site on September 5, 1980[1] and an International Biosphere Reserve on June 30, 1983.
History
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Yurok_plankhouse05.jpg/250px-Yurok_plankhouse05.jpg)
Numerous Native American tribes lived in what later became the park as early as 3,000 years ago. Such groups as the Tolowa, Shasta, Karok, Yurok, Chilula and Wiyot all have historical ties to the region. These tribes utilized the redwood in the manufacturing of boats and houses, and enjoyed abundant materials for the construction of small villages. Native peoples would set fire to the base of the redwoods and then use antlers and rock wedges to cut down the remaining base of the redwood tree. The linear wood grain of the redwood was easily made into planks which were used to make structures and build canoes.[2] Jedediah Smith is believed to be the first white explorer to the region in 1828. The discovery of gold along Trinity Creek in 1850 brought thousands of miners to the region. The native peoples were forcibly removed and in some cases were simply massacred.[3][4] The miners needed timber to build structures of their own and the redwood trees were particularly attractive for this purpose. When the small gold rush in the region ended, some of the miners transformed themselves into loggers, and quickly commenced cutting down as many trees as they could sell. In 1850, 2 million acres (809,371 ha) of the northwest California coast was old growth redwood forest. However by 1910, so many redwoods had been lost to logging that a conservation effort began to create a national park to protect prime redwood groves.[5] In 1911, U.S. Congressman John E. Raker of California was the first politician to introduce legislation for the creation of a national park to protect the redwoods.
The completion of U.S. Route 101 brought conservationists such as John C. Merriam, Madison Grant and Henry Fairfield Osborn to the region. Disappointed to find that there were no public lands set aside to preserve the redwoods, they created the Save-the-Redwoods League in 1918. The state of California commenced a state park system in 1927, and allocated $6 million for the purchase of private lands to complement small groves that had previously been aquired in the early 1920s. The logging industry was big business, and hopes to create a national park were delayed due to World War II and the construction boom that occurred during the 1950s. Efforts by the Save-the-Redwoods League, the Sierra Club and the National Geographic Society to study the feasibility of creating a Redwoods National Park commenced in the early 1960's. On October 2, 1968, Redwood National Park was created and signed into law by U.S. President Lyndon Johnson. The Save-the-Redwoods League and other entities purchased over 100,000 acres (40,468 ha) over the years that were added to existing state parks. In 1978 a major expansion of 48,000 acres (19,425 ha) were added to Redwood National Park, but only a fifth of that land was old growth forest, the rest having been logged in previous decades. Small purchases of redwood groves continued by private parties, and efforts to combine the federal and state parks led to a decision to jointly manage Redwood National Park, and Prairie Creek, Del Norte Coast and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Parks in 1994.[6]
Park Management
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Redwood-NP_Map.png/200px-Redwood-NP_Map.png)
RNSP is managed by both the National Park Service, (a federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior), and the California Department of Parks and Recreation. The 2004 annual budget for the park was $7,380,000 which is roughly the same as for the previous year.[7] The National Park Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation work collectively to protect not only the redwoods, but also pristine Pacific Ocean coastline, cultural resources and the unique natural habitat. Much of the more recent land area that has been purchased to expand the parks was logged and the old growth trees are now gone. Efforts to rejuvenate these areas have been ongoing for several decades as old logging roads are removed and the land is allowed to return to its original state. Lack of adequate funding precludes major improvements and much of the logged sections were replanted by timber companies with tree species that were both faster growing, and not native to the environment. Coastline areas including dunes and coastal prairie have been impacted by exotic species and the previous elimination of forest fires, which until the 1980s were suppressed. A fire management plan now utilizes controlled burning as one method to return the parkland to its orginal state. The redwoods were logged based on accessibility, so forested areas that were the most difficult to get to were the last ones to be cut. This left an island–like mosaic whereby large old growth forest sections were isolated from one another, sometimes by many miles. In many cases, it will be many decades before the forest fills in naturally regardless of the amount of money used to rehabilitate the environment.[8]
The park utilizes many logging roads that are now scenic public drives. They do not meet current safety standards, yet funding for improvements is not adequate. Park structures such as visitor centers and employee housing are generally in need of updating to meet 21st century needs. The park also performs air and water quality surveys, endangered and threatened species monitoring and works cooperatively with the California Coastal National Monument, which is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, to protect coastline.[9] The park headquarters is located just outside the parks in Crescent City, California.
Natural Resources
Flora
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Redwood_light.jpg/250px-Redwood_light.jpg)
The Coast Redwood is found only along the northern California coast. It is closely related to the Giant Sequoia found only in central California, and less so to the Dawn Redwood which is indigenous to the Sichuan-Hubei region of China. Coast redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth; the tallest living specimen known is the Stratosphere Giant, located outside the park in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, and topping out at 370 feet (112.77 m) as measured in 2004. For many years, one specimen in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and within the RNSP was simply named "Tall Tree", and was measured at 367.8 feet (112.11 m), but 10 feet (3.04 m) of the top of tree was reported to have died in the 1990s.[10] One tree that fell over in 1991 was reported to be 372.04 feet (113.4 m). Aside from the Giant Sequoia, no other tree has more mass. The largest redwood in terms of mass is the 1,365.5 yd³ (1,044 m³) "Del Norte Giant", located within the park in Del Norte Redwoods State Park. Coast redwoods are also among the longest living organisms averaging 600 years with some specimens exceeding 2,000 years in age. Redwoods are highly disease resistant due to a thick protective bark and high tannin content. Originally, an estimated 2 million acres (809,370 ha) of coastal northern California was old growth redwoods forest. Today, only 4%, or 85,000 acres (34,400 ha) remain, with 45% of that total being managed by the park.[11] Redwoods prefer sheltered slopes, slightly inland and near water sources such as rivers and streams.
Redwood trees develop massive limbs that, in themselves, can support tree-sized trunks growing on them. This typically occurs above 150 feet. In addition, deep organic soils accumulate on these limbs. With recent studies, scientists have discovered that plants that normally grow on the forest floor also grow in these soils, well above ground. In turn, these soil mats provide homes to invertebrates, mollusks, earthworms, and salamanders. During drought seasons, some treetops may die back, but the trees do not die outright. Instead, redwoods have developed mechanisms for new trunks to regrow from other limbs. These trunks, called reiterations, also develop root systems in the accumulated soils at their bases. This helps to aid in water transport to the highest reaches of the trees. Coastal fog also provides a water supply to the trees, supplying up to one-third of their annual water needs.[12]
The Douglas fir is another large tree commonly found in the forest, and has been measured at heights in excess of 300 feet (91 m). Sitka spruce are plentiful along the coast and are better adapted to the harsher climate and salty air. The hardwood tanoak produces a nut that looks like those produced by oak trees, but is an evergreen tree that does not shed its leaves in the fall. Trees such as the madrone, big-leaf maple, california laurel and red alder are also widespread through the parks.
Shrubs such as the huckleberry, blackberry and salmonberry provide food for a variety of animals and are part of the forest understory. The California rhododendron and azalea produce pink, purple and red flowers adding color to the understory.[13] Within the old growth sections of the parks, sword ferns are prolific, especially near ample water sources. In Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Fern Canyon is a well known ravine 30 to 50 feet (10–15 m) deep, that has walls completely covered in ferns.
Fauna
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Northern_Spotted_Owl.USFWS.jpg/250px-Northern_Spotted_Owl.USFWS.jpg)
The relatively unique ecosystem of Redwood National and State Parks preserves a number of rare and uncommon animal species. With seacoast, river, prairie and densely forested zones all within the park, numerous ecosystems can be encountered. The brown pelican and tidewater goby are federally listed endangered species that live near the Pacific coastline. The bald eagle usually builds nests near a water source and is listed as a threatened species by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service; however, the state of California lists it as endangered. The chinook salmon, northern-spotted owl and the Steller's sea lion are a few of the other animals species federally listed as threatened.[14]
Numerous species of mammals exist in the park including the black bear, mountain lion, bobcat, beaver, river otter, black-tailed deer, elk and coyote, primarily in the forested and prairie sections of the park. Along the coastline, California sea lions, and harbor seals use the beaches and seastacks for rest. Occasionally, visitors can catch a glimpse of a dolphin or Pacific gray whale just off the coast. Elk are the most readily observed of the large mammals in the park. Numerous species of smaller mammals live in the forest canopy including numerous species of bats such as the big brown bat The red squirrel, and northern flying squirrel are also found primarily in the forest canopy.[15]
Bird species such as the brown pelican and double-crested cormorant are found mainly on cliffsides along the coast and on seastacks which rise above the ocean, while sandpipers and gulls inhabit the seacoast and inland areas. Inland, freshwater dependent birds such as the common merganser, osprey, red-shouldered hawk, great blue heron and Stellar's jay are but a few of the species.
Numerous species of reptiles and amphibians live in the parks, including the northwestern ringneck snake, red-legged frog, pacific giant salamander, rough-skinned newt are common.[16]
Geology
The region in which RNSP is located is the most seismically active region in the U.S., outside Alaska. Frequent minor earthquakes within the park and offshore in the Pacific Ocean have resulted in shifting river channels, landslides and erosion of seaside cliffs. The North American, Pacific and Gorda Plates are tectonic plates that all meet at the Mendocino triple junction, located only 100 miles (160 km) southwest of the park. During the 1990s, more than nine magnitude 6.0 earthquakes occurred along this fault zone, and there is always potential that a major earthquake could happen.[17] The park ensures that visitors are aware of the potential for a major earthquake. The threat of a tsunami is of particular concern and visitors to the seacoast are told to seek higher ground immediately after any significant earthquake.[18]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Redwood_coast_02.jpg/250px-Redwood_coast_02.jpg)
Both coastline and the Coast Ranges can be found within park boundaries. The majority of the rocks in the park are part of the Franciscan Assemblage, and were uplifted from the ocean floor millions of years ago. These sedimentary rocks are primarily sandstones, siltstones and shales, with lesser amounts of metamorphic rocks such as chert and greenstone. For the most part, these rocks are relatively easily eroded, and can be viewed along the seacoast and where rivers and streams have cut small gorges. Formed during the cretaceous age, they are highly deformed from uplift and folding processes. In some areas, river systems have created fluvial deposits of sandstones, mudstones and conglomerates, which were carried from upstream areas and outside of the park. Redwood Creek follows the Grogan Fault and along the west bank of the creek schist and other metamorphic rocks can be found, while on the east bank, sedimentary rocks of the Franciscan Assemblage are located.[19]
Climate
Weather in Redwoods National and State Parks is greatly impacted by the Pacific Ocean. Temperatures generally range between 40 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit (4—15°C) year round. Further from the coastline, summers are hotter and drier, while winters are colder. Redwoods prefer the region that is just off the coast but not too far inland, where the summers will be oftentimes fog shrouded, keeping the trees and plants moist. Winters are cool and there is more moisture, but snow is uncommon even on the higher peaks above 1,500 feet (457 m). The higher moisture of the winters and foggy conditions in the summer are a necessity for redwood forest survival. Most of the 100 inches (254 cm) of annual precipitation falls during the winter. Thunderstorms are more likely to occur inland where moister ocean air occasionally clashes with drier continental air masses.[20]
Fire Management
Wildfires are a natural part of many ecosystems. Nature has adapted to fire in many ways, and the absence of natural fire has proven in most cases to be disadvantageous in the long term to an ecosystem that has evolved to adapt to wildfires.[21] In the case of RNSP, as is true with other forested areas, wildfire would eliminate dead and decayed plant and tree matter, enriching the soil and ensuring healthier trees have less competition for limited nutrients. Prior to the arrival of the European settlers, wildfire would periodically burn different sections of forestland. Miners and loggers who came to the region after 1850 set out to ensure that all fires would be suppressed as quickly as possible. Logging interests were concerned with both a loss of their commodity and with the threat to personal safety that fire presented. The net result of total suppression of wildfire was a buildup of dead and decaying flora. During the 1970s, research indicated that there was an immediate need to begin to allow natural fires to burn, so long as personal safety and structures were not compromised. Later, controlled burns were used to deliberately set man–made fires to reduce the risk of a larger massive firestorm by burning off excessive decaying plant matter. In RNSP, a fire management plan was implemented which monitors all fires, weather patterns and the fuel load (dead and decaying plant material). RNSP physically removes this fuel load near structures and areas were fire poses high risk to public safety and uses controlled burns in all other areas.[22]
The park uses fire to preserve prairie grasslands from exotic species invasion and to keep out forest encroachment, ensuring increased rangeland for elk and deer. The oak forest regions also benefit from controlled burns because Douglas fir would eventually take over these woodlands, affecting the existing natural biodiversity. Using fire in old growth redwood zones reduces dead and decaying material, and reduces the mortality of larger redwoods by eliminating competing vegetation.[23]
Recreation
Aside from the DeMartin Redwood Youth Hostel, a low amenities shared lodging facility, there are no hotels or motels within the parks. Nearby towns such as Eureka and Crescent City have numerous facilities for an overnight stay. The park is 340 miles (547 km) north of San Francisco, California, and 330 miles (531 km) south of Portland, Oregon. U.S. Route 101 traverses the park north to south and is the best route for drivers to follow if approaching from either direction.
No vehicular access camping is permitted in the federal sections of the park, but the Mill Creek campground in Del Norte Redwoods State Park and Jedediah Smith campground in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park have 251 campsites that are on a reservation system but non–reserved sites can be obtained year round if available. In Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, the Elk Prairie campground offers another 75 sites while the Gold Bluffs Beach campground has 25 more that are not available for reservation, and are "first come, first serve" only. Other nearby state parks have additional front country camping opportunities.[24] Backcountry camping is by permit only and must be in designated sites, aside from those on gravel bars along Redwood Creek.
Those that camp in the backcountry are limited to five nights consecutively and 15 nights in a year. The backcountry is highly regulated to prevent overuse and to ensure as many groups as possible have the opportunity to explore the forest. Proper food storage to minimize bad encounters with bears is heavily emphasized.[25] The parks have numerous picnic areas scattered throughout the area, all of which are easily accessed by vehicle.
Almost 200 miles (320 km) of hiking trails exist in the parks, but during the rainy season some temporary foot bridges are removed, as they would be destroyed by high streams, and trails may dead–end at larger streams. Throughout the year, trails are often wet and hikers should be well prepared for rainy weather. As in all natural zones, hikers and backpackers are required to take out all trash they create. Horseback riding and mountain biking are popular but are not permitted on every trail.
Kayaking is popular along the seacoast and in the various rivers and streams. The Smith River, which flows through the park, is the longest undammed river remaining in California, and is a popular destination for canoeists and kayakers. Fishing in the Klamath and Smith Rivers is popular with various species of salmon and steelhead, which is a rainbow trout over 16 inches (40 cm) long, highly prized. A California sport fishing license is required to fish any of the rivers and streams. Hunting is not permitted anywhere in the parks, but is allowed in nearby National Forests.
The park has two visitor centers and three additional information points. At the visitor centers, guided nature walks and general information is available. Each campground offers campfire talks during the summer months as well as guided tours.
References
Cited references
- ^ National Park Service, Redwood National Park, California, U.S. World Heritage Sites, URL retrieved June 5, 2006
- ^ Castillo, Edward D., Short Overview of California Indian History, California Native American Heritage Commission, (1998), URL retrieved May 20, 2006.
- ^ Margolin, Malcolm, "Living in a Well-ordered World: Indian People of Northwestern California", Redwood National Park, (1994)
- ^ National Park Service, American Indians, URL retrieved May 20, 2006
- ^ National Park Service, Logging, URL retrieved May 21, 2006
- ^ Save the Redwoods League,League Timeline, URL retrieved May 21, 2006
- ^ National Park Service, Facts, Redwood National and State Parks, URL retrieved May 22, 2006
- ^ Redwood National and State Parks, Strategic Plan 2001-2005, URL retrieved May 22, 2006
- ^ Redwood National and State Parks, Fiscal Year 2004 Annual Performance Plan, URL retrieved May 22, 2006
- ^ Carle, Janet, Tracking the Tallest Tree, California State Park Rangers Association, URL retrieved May 22, 2006
- ^ Redwood National and State Parks, About the Trees, URL retrieved May 22, 2006
- ^ Redwood National and State Parks, Visitors Guide, .pdf, URL retrieved May 27, 2006
- ^ Redwood National and State Parks, Vegetation, URL retrieved May 22, 2006
- ^ Redwood National and State Parks, Threatened/Endangered Species, URL retrieved May 24, 2006
- ^ Redwood National and State Parks, Discovering the unseen world, .pdf, pg. 5, Visitors Guide, URL retrieved June 5, 2006
- ^ Redwood National and State Parks, River and stream wildlife, URL retrieved May 26, 2006
- ^ Oppenheimer, David, Mendocino Triple Junction Offshore Northern California, A Policy for Rapid Mobilization of USGS OBS (RMOBS), U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Science Center, URL retrieved June 3, 2006
- ^ Redwood National and State Parks, Geologic setting, Geology, URL retrieved May 27, 2006
- ^ United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, World Heritage Sites, Redwood National Park, (December 13, 2005), URL retrieved May 27, 2006
- ^ National Park Service, Weather and Climate, Redwood National and State Parks, URL retrieved May 27, 2006
- ^ National Park Service, Fire Ecology, Fire and Aviation Management, URL retrieved June 3, 2006
- ^ Redwood National and State Parks, Fire Management Plan Environmental Assessment, May 2005, .pdf, URL retrieved June 3, 2006
- ^ Redwood National and State Parks, Living with fire, Resource Management, URL retrieved June 2, 2006
- ^ National Park Service, Camping, Redwood National and State Parks, URL retrieved May 27, 2006
- ^ Redwood National and State Parks, Backcountry, URL retrieved May 27, 2006
General references
- National Park Service. "Redwood National and State Parks". Retrieved 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help) - Redwood National and State Parks. "Visitor Guide" (PDF). Retrieved 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help)