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Redwood National and State Parks

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      Redwood National and State Parks
   IUCN Category II ( National Park)
   Redwood National and State Parks
   Location:       California, USA
   Nearest city:   Crescent City, CA
   Coordinates:    41°10′0″N, 123°59′0″W
   Area:           112,512 acres (455 km²)
   Established:    January 1, 1968
   Visitation:     391,282 (in 2004)
   Governing body: National Park Service
   The Coastal redwood is the tallest tree species on Earth.
   Enlarge
   The Coastal redwood is the tallest tree species on Earth.

   The Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) are located in the United
   States, along the Pacific Ocean coast of northern California. With an
   area of 112,512 acres (45,500 ha), the parks protect 45% of the
   remaining groves of coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) trees, the
   tallest and one of the most massive tree species on Earth. In addition
   to the redwood forests, the parks preserve grassland prairie, cultural
   resources, and 37 miles (60 km) of pristine coastline.

   In 1850, old growth redwood forest covered 2 million acres (810,000 ha)
   of the north California coast, an area which had been inhabited by
   Native Americans for 3,000 years, when a minor gold rush brought miners
   and loggers who began cutting down the trees. The efforts of the
   Save-the-Redwoods League, founded in 1918, to preserve three large
   redwood groves eventually resulted in the establishment of Prairie
   Creek, Del Norte Coast, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Parks.
   Redwood National Park was created in 1968, by which time nearly 90% of
   the original redwood trees had been logged. The National Park Service
   and the California Department of Parks and Recreation administratively
   combined Redwood National Park with the three state parks in 1994, a
   degree of collaboration between the National Park Service and a state
   park system which is unique in the U.S.

   The ecosystem of the RNSP preserves a number of threatened animal
   species such as the brown pelican, tidewater goby, bald eagle, chinook
   salmon, northern-spotted owl, and Steller's sea lion. In recognition of
   the rare ecosystem and cultural history found in the parks, the United
   Nations designated them a World Heritage Site on September 5, 1980, and
   an International Biosphere Reserve on June 30, 1983.

History

   Reconstruction of a Yurok Native American plankhouse constructed of
   redwood boards.
   Enlarge
   Reconstruction of a Yurok Native American plankhouse constructed of
   redwood boards.

   As early as 3,000 years ago, Native Americans lived in the park area.
   Such groups as the Yurok, Tolowa, Shasta, Karok, Chilula, and Wiyot all
   have historical ties to the region. An 1852 census determined that the
   Yurok were the most numerous, with 55 villages and an estimated
   population of 2,500. They used the abundant redwood, which with its
   linear grain was easily split into planks, as a building material for
   boats, houses, and small villages. For buildings, the planks would be
   erected side by side in a narrow trench, with the upper portions bound
   with leather strapping and held by notches cut into the supporting roof
   beams. Redwood boards were used to form a shallow sloping roof.

   Spanish, British, Russian, and American explorers visited the coast
   near the present park as early as the mid 16th century, to trade with
   local people for seal pelts. Until the arrival of Jedediah Smith, in
   1828, no white explorer is known to have thoroughly investigated the
   inland region. The discovery of gold along Trinity Creek in 1850
   brought thousands of miners into the area, which led to conflicts; the
   native peoples were forcibly removed and in some cases massacred. By
   1895, only one third of the Yurok in one group of villages remained;
   and, by 1919, virtually all members of the Chilula tribe had either
   died or been assimilated into other tribes. The miners logged redwoods
   for building; and, when this minor gold rush ended, some of them became
   loggers, cutting down as many trees as they could sell. In 1850,
   2 million acres (810,000  ha) of the northwest California coast was
   old-growth redwood forest; but, by 1910, so many redwoods had been cut
   down that conservationists and concerned citizens began seeking ways to
   preserve the remaining trees. In 1911, U.S. Representative John E.
   Raker, of California, became the first politician to introduce
   legislation for the creation of a national park. However, no further
   action was taken by Congress at this time.

   The completion of U.S. Route 101 brought conservationists 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 founded the Save-the-Redwoods League in
   1918. Using matching funds provided by the state of California, the
   Save-the-Redwoods League managed to save three large redwood groves by
   the early 1920s. When California created a state park system, in 1927,
   these three groves became the Prairie Creek Redwoods, Del Norte Coast
   Redwoods, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Parks. Because of the high
   demand for lumber during World War II and the construction boom of the
   1950s, the creation of a national park was delayed. Efforts by the
   Save-the-Redwoods League, the Sierra Club, and the National Geographic
   Society to create a national park began in the early 1960s. After
   intense lobbying of Congress, the bill creating Redwood National Park
   was signed by President Lyndon Johnson on 2 October 1968. The
   Save-the-Redwoods League and other entities purchased over
   100,000 acres (40,000 ha), which were added to existing state parks. In
   1978, 48,000 acres (19,000 ha) were added to Redwood National Park in a
   major expansion. However, only a fifth of that land was old-growth
   forest, the rest having been logged. This expansion protected the
   watershed along Redwood Creek from being adversely affected by logging
   operations outside the park. The federal and state parks were
   administratively combined in 1994.

   The United Nations designated Redwood National and State Parks a World
   Heritage Site on 5 September 1980. The evaluation committee noted 50
   prehistoric archaeological sites, spanning 4,500 years. It also cited
   ongoing research in the park by Humboldt State University researchers,
   among others. The park is part of a much larger region designated the
   California Coast Ranges International Biosphere Reserve on June 30,
   1983. The California Coast Ranges biosphere is overseen by the
   University of California Natural Reserve System.

Park management

   Map of Redwood National and State Parks
   Enlarge
   Map of Redwood National and State Parks

   The RNSP are managed jointly by the National Park Service, a federal
   agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the California
   Department of Parks and Recreation, with an annual budget of $7,380,000
   (2004). The two agencies work cooperatively to protect the redwoods,
   the pristine Pacific Ocean coastline, the cultural resources, and the
   unique natural habitat. The land that was added to the parks in 1978
   had previously been logged, and efforts to restore these areas have
   been ongoing for decades, with old logging roads being removed and the
   land allowed to return to its original state. Lack of funding has
   precluded major improvements, however, and timber companies have
   replanted much of the logged area with non-native tree species.
   Coastline areas, including dunes and coastal prairie, have been invaded
   by exotic species, partly due to the suppression of forest fires until
   the 1980s. A fire management plan now allows controlled burning as one
   method to return the parkland to its original state. Since the redwoods
   were logged on the basis of accessibility, with inaccessible areas
   being cut last, large old growth forest sections were isolated from one
   another, sometimes by many miles. In these cases it will be decades
   more before mature forest can return, regardless of the amount of money
   used to rehabilitate the ecosystem.

   The park has transformed a few logging roads into scenic public drives.
   These do not meet current safety standards, but funding to improve them
   is not available at present. Park structures such as visitor centers
   and employee housing also need updating to meet increasing demands. The
   park employees perform air and water quality surveys, monitor
   endangered and threatened species, and work closely with the California
   Coastal National Monument, which is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land
   Management. The park headquarters is in Crescent City, California.

Recreation

   Other than 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 accommodation
   facilities. The park is 340 miles (550 km) north of San Francisco,
   California, and 330 miles (530 km) south of Portland, Oregon, and U.S.
   Route 101 passes through it from north to south. The Smith River
   National Recreation Area, part of the Six Rivers National Forest, is
   adjacent to the north end of RNSP.

   While the state parks have front country campsites that can be driven
   to, the federal sections of the park do not, and hiking is the only way
   of reaching back country campsites. These are at Mill Creek campground
   in Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park and Jedediah Smith campground in
   Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, which have together have 251
   campsites, the Elk Prairie campground in Prairie Creek Redwoods State
   Park which has 75, and the Gold Bluffs Beach campground which has 25
   campsites. Other nearby state parks have additional front country
   camping. Back country camping is by permit only and is only allowed in
   designated sites, except on gravel bars along Redwood Creek.
   Scene along a hiking trail in Fern Canyon
   Enlarge
   Scene along a hiking trail in Fern Canyon

   The back country is highly regulated to prevent overuse and to permit
   as many groups as possible to explore the forest. Camping in the back
   country is therefore limited to five consecutive nights, and 15 nights
   in any one year. Proper food storage to minimize encounters with bears
   is strongly enforced, and hikers and backpackers are required to take
   out any trash they generate.

   Almost 200 miles (320 km) of hiking trails exist in the parks, but
   during the rainy season some temporary footbridges are removed, as they
   would be destroyed by high streams. Throughout the year, trails are
   often wet and hikers need to be well prepared for rainy weather and
   consult information centers for updates on trail conditions.

   Horseback riding and mountain biking are popular but are only allowed
   on certain trails. Kayaking is popular along the seacoast and in the
   various rivers and streams. Kayakers and canoeists frequently travel
   the Smith River, which is the longest undammed river remaining in
   California. Fishing for salmon and steelhead, (a highly prized rainbow
   trout over 16 inches (40 cm) long), is best in the Smith and Klamath
   rivers. 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. The parks have many picnic
   areas, which are all easily accessed by vehicle.

In films

   The park has served as location shots for numerous films. The Endor
   scenes for the Star Wars movie Return of the Jedi were filmed in the
   Tall Trees Redwood Grove in the northern part of Humboldt County.
   Scenes for The Lost World: Jurassic Park as well as the movie Outbreak,
   were filmed at the nearby Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and at
   Patrick's Point State Park.
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