Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing on the Save Our Sequoias (SOS) Act. 

"Nearly twenty percent of all Giant Sequoias have been destroyed since 2017, and if we continue on this path without change, these natural wonders are at risk of extinction. I am grateful to Chairman Westerman for recognizing the immediate need to protect these iconic trees, and I look forward to working alongside him and our 50 bipartisan cosponsors to get the Save Our Sequoias Act passed by the House and we will continue to push for it to get signed into law." – Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)

"Our nation's most icoic trees are in imminent danger, and without immediate action, we could lose these majestic giants forever. Although sequoias have survived for thousands of years, recent forest mismanagement has wiped out almost 20 percent of these national treasures over the last decade. The Save Our Sequoias Act is a crucial piece of bipartisan legislation that not only streamlines regulations but also provides the resources we need to ensure the survival of these trees for generations to come. With science-based active forest management and the removal of excess fuel in and around groves, we can prevent the unnecessary loss of these priceless icons." – House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.)

"For generations, the majestic giant sequoia has provided innumerable cultural, environmental, and recreational benefits. Unfortunately, poor land management and climate change have led to increasingly severe fires that threaten the survival of giant sequoias and the stability of the climate. I appreciate Chair Westerman holding this important hearing on the bipartisan Save Our Sequoias Act so we can chart a new path forward in federal forest and wildfire policy and ensure the giant sequoias stand safely in their natural habitat for years to come." – U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.)

"Less than two weeks ago, I joined my bipartisan colleagues in introducing the Save Our Sequoias Act. Today, I am proud to have participated in a legislative hearing on the bill. The goal of the SOS Act is clear: save our precious sequoias for future generations. The bill will accomplish this as it restores active management by empowering land managers with critical tools to expeditiously carry out fuels reduction and reforestation projects. The urgent need for this common sense legislation could not be more clear." – U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.)

Background

Over the course of two years, catastrophic wildfires wiped out nearly one-fifth of the world’s Giant Sequoias. Covering only 37,000 acres in California across roughly 70 groves, Giant Sequoias are among the most fire-resilient tree species on the planet and were once considered virtually indestructible. However, more than a century of fire suppression and mismanagement created a massive build-up of hazardous fuels in and around Giant Sequoia groves, leading to unnaturally intense, high-severity wildfires. The emergency now facing Giant Sequoias is unprecedented – the last recorded evidence of large-scale Giant Sequoia mortality due to wildfires occurred in the year 1297 A.D., more than seven centuries ago.

Despite the looming threat to the remaining Giant Sequoias, federal land managers have not been able to increase the pace and scale of treatments necessary to restore Giant Sequoia's resiliency to wildfires, insects and drought. At its typical pace, it would take the U.S. Forest Service approximately 52 years to treat just their 19 highest-priority Giant Sequoia groves at high risk of experiencing devastating wildfires. Without urgent action, we are at risk of losing our iconic Giant Sequoias in the next several years. Accelerating scientific forest management practices will not only improve the health and resiliency of these thousand-year-old trees but also enhance air and water quality and protect critical habitat for important species like the Pacific Fisher.

The SOS Act will provide land managers with the emergency tools and resources needed to save these remaining ancient wonders from the unprecedented peril threatening their long-term survival. The bill would:

• Enhance coordination between federal, state, tribal and local land managers through shared stewardship agreements and the codification of the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition, a partnership between the current Giant Sequoia managers.
• Create a Giant Sequoia Health and Resiliency Assessment to prioritize wildfire risk reduction treatments in the highest-risk groves and track the progress of scientific forest management activities.
• Declare an emergency to streamline and expedite environmental reviews and consultations while maintaining robust scientific analysis.
• Provide new authority to the National Park Foundation and National Forest Foundation to accept private donations to facilitate Giant Sequoia restoration and resiliency.
• Establish a comprehensive reforestation strategy to regenerate Giant Sequoias in areas destroyed by recent catastrophic wildfires.

To learn more about the legislation, click here.