Almost 160 years ago, the amazing landscape of the Del Norte land on the northeastern coast of California was home to a great many animals, Native American peoples, fungi, flora, fauna, and old growth redwood trees galore in over 2,000,000 acres of forest. By the 1960’s, 90% of that beautiful land had been logged, burned, and been established by man. Today, these lands are known as the Redwood Forest. What caused this massive deforestation movement, and how has the land been protected since? Read more and find out… or else…First a little background information. The “old growth” redwoods mentioned in the above paragraph are among the oldest and largest trees in the world, hence the name “old growth trees”. The forests were also home to many Native American tribes. The forests were right along the Pacific Coast, and were ideal for fishing, whaling, and hunting. They provided shelter and game and were spiritually sacred to those people. The flora, fauna, and other plant based organisms found in the forest also provided food, dyes, and herbal medicines. The Redwood Forest was, and still is a massive and delicate ecosystem that many depended on. The area was also a place of much interest for fur trappers, as the area was teeming with wildlife that had great pelts.Jedediah Smith was the most noted explorer of the area of European dissent, and mapped out much of the area. Around 1850, a little gold was found on the banks of the Trinity River which sparked a major gold rush to the area. Little gold was found, and the people who failed to find instant riches turned to logging as a means of providing for themselves. Settlements were soon established, and major logging companies were created. The lumber provided fuel during the winter, building supplies for the major cities being erected, and for many more uses.Around 68’s, only 10% of the forest was left. Luckily, the forest was named the Redwood National Park and has been protected ever since. The forest was found to be home to several endangered species, including; the Brown Pelican, Tidewater Goby, Bald Eagle, Chinook Salmon, Northern Spotted Owl, and Steller's Sea Lion. Major work has been conducted in the decades since to help rebuild the forest. In recognition of the rarity of the ecosystem and cultural history of the parks, the United Nations designated them a World Heritage Site on September 5, 1980 and an International Biosphere Reserve on June 30, 1983.Today,management of the forests is a complex system. Teams are assigned to eradicate foreign and exotic plants and animals that will destroy the natural order if left unchecked. This is often done with controlled fires. Not only do the fires burn away exotic life forms, but they destroy extraneous plantlife that can take away the nutrients and increase the mortaliy rate from the older trees. The fires also enrich the soil and provide great growth.Everyone who travels to the Redwood Forest has nothing but awe inspiring tales of ancient nearly undisturbed beauty that permetes the forests. I have never been there, but I can’t wait to go. I am very dissapointed in the human race for destroying so much life and enviroment with their goals for manifest destiny and expansion. However, I am glad that the necessarry work and effort has been made to ensure that the Redwood Forest will never be destroyed by human hands.
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