Redwood Redux - Sempervirens Fund Beware

Cliches are to redwoods as acorns are to oaks. 

The coast redwood has got to be the most over-protected species on Earth, plant or animal, with the single exception of Homo sapiens. 

And they are about as needy of protection as lettuce. [I refer of course to all except old-growth, of course). Any creature that has economic value to humans and can be propagated by humans is guaranteed immortality as long as there is one human left who wants it. 

I growl and seethe to think how many millions of conservation dollars have been wasted on buying up cut-over redwood forests. Promoters and fund-seekers are shameless in dredging up dubious justifications; lawyers could pick up no end of pointers from such hucksters on ways to distort facts and logic both to gull the credible. 

Once again, the rich get richer at the expense of the poor. 

Not only is this maybe the only California native plant that has not been decimated by our busybody beavering but is steadily increasing beyond its historical range and numbers. Loggers and do-gooders alike yearly plant thousands upon thousands more, nearly always to the detriment of a whole array of other plant and animal species which are far more in need of help than the redwoods.

Yes, they are beautiful in old age, and no, there are no 2 totally alike. But, in aggregate, the forests they produce are as biologically sterile as they are stable. Confined to a redwood forest, you and I and most other animals would starve to death in short order (and this has actually happened). Indian and traveler avoided them whenever possible; life-sustaining game and grass could be found only where the forest was broken by big meadows and prairies. Solid redwood forest, no matter how “virgin,” is a biological Mother Hubbard’s cupboard. 

Yes, redwoods are great. Hooray for redwoods. 

But… for all you would-be conservationists out there, a word to the wise: enough with the one-trick pony already! 

(Note: if you have redwoods on your property, or if you just want to do something really nice for that species--and ours--you will find some concrete suggestions under ___ ___ ___)

I was told about some political candidate here in Santa Cruz recently (2000) trying to gain votes by handing out redwood seedlings for people to plant--more coals for Newcastle. The guy must have been a newcomer, or else more cynically manipulative than the average politico, or else just dim.