Together we are stronger
The Coalition
The Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition is comprised of leading experts in giant sequoia conservation. Each member is an authority in their field, collaborating to share knowledge and safeguard Earth’s mightiest giants.
we are the
giant sequoia lands coalition
The Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition (GSLC) is a landscape-scale, multi-partner collaboration dedicated to the conservation and stewardship of giant sequoia grove ecosystems. Our coalition is composed of all federal, tribal, state and local agencies and organizations that manage giant sequoia groves in public, tribal or private nonprofit ownership. Our affiliate partners include select federal and state conservation agencies, nongovernmental organization conservation groups, and academic research partners with a shared commitment to protect and steward giant sequoias and their ecosystems from emerging threats associated with climate change and the extended absence of natural, low-severity wildfire processes on the landscape.
Mission
To accelerate and sustain the protection, stewardship and long-term persistence of giant sequoias and their ecosystems for current and future generations.
Vision
Vigorously growing and climate-resilient giant sequoias and their ecosystems are sustained through collective stewardship, traditional ecological practices, science, and public support.
Purpose
To collectively identify, support, and advance the highest-priority stewardship needs across the giant sequoia range while accelerating landscape-scale forest management efforts to address the challenges of a changing climate.
ABOUT the coalition
Giant sequoia ecosystems, and the wildlife and biological diversity they foster, face dramatic declines from intense, high-mortality fires caused by prolonged drought and the accumulation of heavy forest fuels; as well as other urgent new stressors, such as death or weakening from bark beetle attack and drought stress, and potential shifting of suitable microclimates outside of their existing range.
The 2020 Castle Fire was a dramatic wake-up call, highlighting the vulnerability of this unique system, in that an unprecedented number of giant sequoias were killed. During this fire, and two that followed in 2021, an estimated 13-19 percent of mature giant sequoias over 4′ DBH (Diameter at Breast Height) population has died or are dying as a result of high-severity fire. These fire effects are unprecedented and, if not prevented in future wildfires, represent a significant threat to giant sequoia survival across their already limited range.
Coalition partners recognize that successful conservation of giant sequoia ecosystems will require a greater level of commitment as well as coordinated and effective management action across their range. An estimated 99% of all giant sequoia trees are currently located on public or tribal lands.
“As Native People, we have a spiritual and cultural connection with the land. For thousands of years, these trees have provided healing, shelter, and warmth to our people. It is our duty to do everything in our power to make sure that they are protected, so we can pass them on to our future generations as they were passed down to us.”
