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Fire Danger is HIGH in the Parks - Observe Current Fire Restrictions
On Saturday, July 14, 2012, fire restrictions began and will continue until further notice. Follow link to read the full news release for info on wood, BBQ, & propane fires, and smoking in campgrounds, picnic, & wilderness areas below 6,000 ft. More »
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Road Construction Delays in Sequoia NP thru end of November 2012 (if entering/exiting Hwy 198)
Expect 20-minute to 1-hour delays on weekdays and 20-minute delays on weekends along main road through parks. Weeknight closures with one pass through the construction zone at 11:30 p.m. See link to schedule and map or call 559-565-3341 (press 1, 1, 1,). More »
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22-foot Vehicle Length Limit in Sequoia NP thru end of November 2012 (if entering/exiting Hwy 198)
Planning to see the "Big Trees" in Sequoia National Park? If you enter/exit via Hwy. 198, all vehicles must be less than 22 feet in length. Even vehicles towing trailers must be less than 22 feet in combined length. Longer vehicles must enter at Hwy. 180. More »
Vegetation Restoration
Restoration of disturbed park lands includes those areas actively disturbed by past park management activities or other human actions, as well as the restoration of natural conditions to areas where the natural process has been disrupted through human actions (e.g., the widespread disruption of the natural fire regime through suppression). The primary site where visitor facilities have been abandoned, removed, and the site restored is Giant Forest Village (Link to detailed Giant Forest Restoration pages) in Sequoia National Park. A century of human impact had produced a forest structure where canopy openings, or gaps, were present where groups of trees had been removed to make way for buildings or parking lots, and little to no natural regeneration had occurred. Removal of visitor facilities and the restoration of landforms, soils, and vegetation began in 1997. Over a two-year period, about 300 buildings and associated infrastructure were removed and 28 acres made available for restoration; a total of about 60 acres will be restored by project's end. Restoration includes restoring natural landforms, mitigating soils impacts, and revegetating to mimic natural regeneration following fire in surrounding areas of Giant Forest. This is a pulsed type of restoration, where once soils are stabilized and restored, plantings are established, and irrigation is removed, the site will be managed similarly to surrounding natural areas of Giant Forest. During road and building construction projects, park vegetation and soils are disturbed. Revegetation with native plants following construction is done to stabilize soils, facilitate establishment of a native vegetation cover, prevent invasion by non-native species, and provide screening and landscaping. |
Did You Know?
Sometimes you will see sequoias in a straight row. This may happen because sequoia seeds prefer mineral-rich burned ground. When a fallen log burns long and hot, it leaves a strip of bare mineral-rich soil — an ideal place for new sequoias to grow. Years later, we see a line of sequoias!