A 530-acre stretch of California forest filled with ancient giant sequoias was once the largest remaining privately owned giant sequoia property in the world. In 2019, thousands of donors came together to help Save the Redwoods League purchase and protect Alder Creek Grove for $15.65 million. The property contained hundreds of giant sequoias, including the enormous Stagg Tree, which is among the largest known trees on Earth. But less than a year after the purchase was completed, the 2020 Castle Fire swept through the grove. Around 38% of Alder Creek burned at high severity, killing at least 108 large old-growth giant sequoias. Much of the forest survived, however, and conservationists are now working to restore the damaged areas, plant new trees and make the grove more resilient to future wildfires.
Thousands of donors came together to protect the ancient sequoias
Save the Redwoods League completed its purchase of Alder Creek on December 31, 2019, after a four-month public fundraising campaign. More than 8,500 donors from all 50 US states and more than 30 other countries contributed to the effort. The organisation raised the full $15.65 million needed to acquire the property. At the time, Alder Creek was described as the largest remaining privately owned giant sequoia property in the world. The 530-acre forest contained 483 giant sequoias with trunks at least six feet in diameter, along with many younger trees. The property also included meadows, wetlands and other forest habitats. Its protection was considered significant because it sits next to the Giant Sequoia National Monument and helps preserve a larger connected landscape. Alder Creek contains the Stagg Tree, which Save the Redwoods League describes as the fifth-largest known tree in the world by volume. The giant sequoia is believed to be thousands of years old and stands among hundreds of other ancient trees on the property. Giant sequoias can survive for thousands of years and are adapted to periodic fire. However, scientists have found that unusually intense wildfires can overwhelm even these fire-adapted trees. The Stagg Tree survived the Castle Fire. More than 300 acres around it also remained standing after the blaze, leaving a significant portion of the grove intact.
Castle Fire killed at least 108 large sequoias
The conservation success was followed by a devastating setback. The Castle Fire, part of the larger SQF Complex Fire, reached Alder Creek in September 2020. About 38% of the property burned at high severity. Save the Redwoods League says the intense fire killed at least 108 large old-growth giant sequoias, as well as numerous firs and pines. The National Park Service conducted a separate assessment of large sequoias in the grove. Its survey recorded 200 large sequoias as dead across different fire-severity categories, while 277 were recorded as alive. The difference reflects the scope and methodology of the assessments. The National Park Service also estimated that the Castle Fire killed between 31% and 42% of large sequoias within its overall footprint.
Conservationists are rebuilding the fire-damaged forest
The most severely burned sections of Alder Creek face a particular problem because the fire destroyed much of the tree canopy and consumed many of the cones and seeds that would normally help giant sequoias regenerate. Severe fire also damaged the soil. Save the Redwoods League began a multiyear recovery programme in 2021 to help restore these areas and make the forest more resilient to future fires. The organisation and its partners planted more than 50,000 native conifer seedlings across the property during 2023 and 2024. The seedlings included giant sequoias as well as sugar pine, ponderosa pine and white fir. Conservationists are also working to reduce fuel loads and prepare the forest for hotter and drier conditions linked to climate change.The long-term plan goes beyond replacing trees lost in the Castle Fire. Save the Redwoods League is working to create a healthier and more fire-resilient forest while maintaining the ecological character of the grove. The organisation is also working with Tribal partners to reintroduce carefully managed fire, a practice that can reduce fuel and support healthier forest ecosystems while reconnecting the landscape with Indigenous stewardship. Alder Creek also provides habitat for species including the Pacific fisher, American marten and California spotted owl. The League hopes to eventually provide carefully managed public access so visitors can experience the grove while learning about wildfire, forest restoration and climate resilience.