Conservationists hoping to preserve what could be tallest redwood in Sonoma County
GUERNEVILLE — In the North Bay, a conservation group has been given a unique opportunity to preserve what many think is the largest living redwood tree in Sonoma County.
The redwood forest near Guerneville was clear-cut all the way down to the ground 150 years ago. But one tree was left standing.
"It would have been remarkably different. And I know it affected people back then, even, because people started thinking about how to do things differently," Jeff Stump, with Save the Redwoods League, said.
Huge tree stumps serve as evidence of the logging that went on in the 1800s. But other, full-size redwoods have sprouted out of their stumps and roots, carrying on a genetic resilience that is simply breathtaking.
"This is what they call a 'fairy ring.' See how these trees are ringing this spot? This was a giant redwood that stood here," said Stump, pointing to the 20-foot circle between the trees. "Probably the size of that opening."
Most of the current trees are only a century or two old, but there is one that stands out, literally. The "Clar Tree," measuring 278 feet tall with a diameter of 16 feet can be seen piercing the forest's canopy. It is said to be the tallest tree in Sonoma County and, almost certainly, the oldest, estimated at around 2,000 years.
"It's constantly growing, but 140 years ago, it was a spectacularly beautiful tree. And somehow, it survived? And somehow, through all of what happened here, it survived," Stump said.
No one knows why it was the only tree left standing, but its existence, its persistence, is inspiring an effort to preserve it and the forest around it. The land's owner, a timber company called RMB Family Trust, has agreed to sell the 394-acre forest to the Save the Redwoods League for $6.5 million. The money must be raised by Sept. 29, and the conservationists are hoping that a tree that was alive during the Roman Empire will help them do it.
"I think we're lucky. We're lucky because a tree like that gives us a sense of awe, right? And that sense of awe is really important in the work that we do," Stump said.
Once the money is raised and the land is purchased, it will be donated to the county for preservation and, eventually, the creation of a new park, so the public can experience its majestic beau
