What are old-growth redwoods?
Old-growth redwoods are centuries-old trees, distinguished from second growth trees which have regenerated after logging. The term “old-growth” can apply to groves of trees and/or individual trees. On PL lands in Humboldt County, there are groves of trees that have never been logged, such as Headwaters, Elkhead Springs (both of which are to be purchased under the Headwaters Agreement), Allen Creek, Shaw Gift, and Bell Lawrence. These unentered, or virgin, groves are termed “uncut” old-growth redwood. Elsewhere on PL lands, individual old-growth trees remaining after earlier selective logging are now surrounded by young, second-growth forest. These remnant individuals are termed “residual” old-growth, and can be found in abundance in PL groves such as Cooper Mill, Lower North Fork Elk, and Road 3. How much old-growth redwood is being protected in the proposed Headwaters Preserve?
