As a result of years of devastating wildfires, the native sequoia trees in Sequoia National Park face the threat of extinction. These ancient, resilient trees have survived thousands of years of damage, but an unprecedented increase in wildfires has led to their dwindling population. The wildfires have destroyed a significant portion of Sequoia National Park, far beyond what the park has experienced in previous years. According to Julia Jacobo of ABC News, “Since 2020, three fires are estimated to have killed up to 19% of the large giant sequoias in the entire Sierra Nevada population, and 85% of sequoia groves have been affected by wildfire in the past six years.”
Park officials for Sequoia National Park specialize in wildfire management and prevention, often utilizing controlled fires, also known as prescribed burns, as a means of clearing the forest floor of debris, thus preventing the outbreak of wildfires. However, due to social and political pressures, the practice of prescribed burns has faded. As a result, debris has accumulated over time, providing wildfires with more fuel to burn than ever before. A sensible solution is needed, and the immediate implementation of controlled fires will prevent the extinction of native sequoia trees in Sequoia National Park.
Climate change has fueled Sequoia National Park’s wildfire problem. Due to the effects of global warming, California has experienced severe drought for several years. This has created ideal conditions for wildfires, particularly in areas dense with dead vegetation. Drought-induced wildfires often ignite a cycle of destruction. As wildfires decimate forests, they leave behind dry, dead vegetation that serves as a tinder for a fresh wave of fires to occur. Not only do these wildfires occur more consistently, but they also reach deadly new heights and temperatures, spreading from the crown of one tree to the next. Although the trunk of a sequoia is built to endure high temperatures, the crown cannot withstand extreme heat. The tree is far more likely to die in the process and spread the flames to its neighbor. In a short matter of time, the fires wreak havoc on the sequoia population.
The controversy surrounding the practice of prescribed burns has led to a lack of resources for park officials to implement in Sequoia National Park as wildfires continue to kill its native trees. Despite the precautions park workers take to manage a controlled fire, they have faced resistance from Californian residents and politicians. The public, understandably, feels anxious about the potential risks of a prescribed burn escaping containment. Opponents of controlled fires have voiced their concerns for decades, as in the case of the infamous Smokey the Bear campaign, leading to a lack of options for the park to utilize in the fight against wildfires. Without proper resources, Sequoia National Park becomes defenseless against this threat of extinction.
Controlled fires will stop the spread of wildfires and protect Sequoia National Park. Prescribed burns will reduce the frequency and severity of future fires, ensuring the survival of the sequoias, by clearing the forest floor of debris. According to NPR, “More than a century of aggressive fire suppression has left forests choked with dense vegetation, downed logs and millions of dead trees killed by bark beetles that have fanned raging infernos intensified by drought and exacerbated by climate change.” Without the proper fuel, the wildfires that occurred would have lower temperatures and heights, reducing the damage inflicted on the sequoia trees in the process.
If the conditions become less favorable for wildfires to occur, it would give the sequoia population time to replenish. Prescribed burns can even benefit sequoia trees because the warmth encourages them to drop their seeds. A new wave of healthy seedlings would help replace parts of the sequoia population that died in the wildfires. A team of researchers previously noted this phenomenon that the sequoia trees exhibited after prescribed burns: “Seedlings replaced dead individuals after a fire and thus restored regular spacing.” The seed production induced by a controlled fire could have dramatically positive, long-term effects on the trees. By allowing the trees to restore their population, Sequoia National Park would eventually recover from the damage inflicted by the wildfires.
Planned prescribed burns keep environmental variables and community impact in mind to reduce the risk factors involved in the process. Once the prescribed burn has begun, park workers monitor and contain the temperature and height of the flames, ensuring the protection of the sequoias. Despite the unlikeliness of a prescribed burn growing out of control, it has occurred in the past. However, the potential damage sequoia trees face without prescribed burns outweighs these concerns. As long as park workers carefully oversee the process, prescribed burns pose less danger than the wildfires Sequoia National Park has endured.
The practice of prescribed burns requires consistency. The severity of the current wildfires affecting Sequoia National Park stems from a lack of routine prescribed burns in the past. Historically, Native Americans employed similar practices of frequent controlled fires. This tool helped them cultivate healthy forestry for years, but legislation forced them to stop. Twilight Greenaway from Inside Climate News describes how “the burns came to an end decades ago as state and federal policies prohibited such uses of fire by the tribes in the region.” With fewer prescribed burns, more and more debris littered the forest floor over time. As a result, the sequoia groves became tinderboxes. University of California, Berkley Professor Rob York noted that the initial process “will need to be followed up with frequent prescribed fires in order to truly restore and protect the groves long-term.” As global warming further alters the ecosystem of Sequoia National Park, consistently prescribed burns will protect the trees from enduring this kind of wildfire on a regular basis.
Without the usage of controlled fires, the trees of Sequoia National Park that have stood for thousands of years will succumb to the relentless waves of wildfires, which have already destroyed numerous sequoias. Those who care for the sequoias adamantly describe the love and admiration visitors feel for the trees. They also explain the depths of their grief as they witness these trees, once considered untouchable historical relics, reduced to ash in a short matter of time.
Sequoia National Park faces a crisis unlike any other they have experienced. The trees cannot survive without the assistance of controlled fires, along with the resources needed to properly implement this routine for long-term, meaningful change. Prescribed burns will clear the land of past debris, help the trees release seeds, and prevent fires of this magnitude from reoccurring in the future. With the proper resources, park officials can eradicate these wildfires, saving remaining sequoias in the process. Consistently prescribed burns are the only way to save the beloved, ancient trees of Sequoia National Park.
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Gillian Pedroza is a writer who loves nature, storytelling, and her dogs.
