Giant Sequoia Management Strategies on the
Tule River Indian Reservation1
Brian Rueger2
Abstract: Giant sequoia trees and forests have long been valued by members
of the Tule River Tribal community. Management of the Reservation
forests emphasize the enhancement of overall forest health and productivity
while maintaining cultural and esthetic values. Strategies for managing
giant sequoia forests have been developed and are implemented on a site
specific basis. Projects are initiated and completed by the Tribe's Natural
Resources Department.
Located in southern Tulare County, California, the Tule
River Indian Reservation was established in 1873. The Tule
River Tribe is a federally recognized Indian Tribe governed
by a nine-member Tribal Council. The tribe's land base
encompasses nearly 55,000 acres. Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum [Lindl.] Buchholz) occurs with other
conifer species at almost 5,500 to 6,000 feet elevation. The
Tule River Tribal Council manages their sequoia groves
with general oversight provided by the USDI Bureau of
Indian Affairs. For over 40 years, Tribal use of the groves
has focused on recreation, whitewood timber production,
and utilization of dead and down wood for minor forest
products. Current grove management strategies emphasize
protecting the old-growth sequoias and selected young-growth
replacements, maintain esthetic and cultural values, reducing
fuel loads, improving sequoia regeneration, and integrating
young-growth sequoia as a mixed-conifer timber component.
The Reservation is characterized by a variety of landforms and vegetation types. Grassland, blue oak woodland
and chaparral occupy the foothills below 4,000 feet. Black
woodland and ponderosa pine forest dominate the 4,000
to 5,000 foot level. Mixed-conifer forest begins at about
5,000 feet and extends upwards to 7,000 feet. True fir forest
can be found on north-facing slopes above 7,000 feet. Giant
sequoia commonly mixes with ponderosa and sugar pine,
white fir and incense-cedar between 5,500 and 6,500 feet.
This diversity of forest and range resources has provided the
Reservation community with recreational opportunities,
cultural values, and economic benefits for many years.
Forest management activities are planned in response to
Tribal Council objectives and policy. Individual projects are
implemented by the Tribe's Natural Resources Department
with assistance from its forestry consultant, Integrated Forest
Management. General oversight and assistance is provided
by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
1
An abbreviated version of this paper was presented at the Symposium
on Giant Sequoias: Their Place in the Ecosystem and Society, June 23-25,
1992, Visalia, California
2
Consulting Forester, Integrated Forest Management, P.O. Box 711,
Springville, CA 93265
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Giant sequoia is found in relatively open stands and is
the dominant species whenever it occurs in the mixed-conifer forest. These sites are among the highest, in terms of
their productivity and potential for conifer growth, of any
found on the Reservation. Subsequently, these locales were
among the first to be entered when whitewood timber
harvesting began more than 40 years ago. Except for the
dead and down trees, the giant sequoias have not been used
for forest products.
Community use of giant sequoia areas has historically
been for recreation, cultural values, and for products
derived from the dead and down trees. These same areas
comprise a high percentage of the best growing sites for the
other mixed-conifer species and generate a significant
portion of the whitewood timber sale revenue for the Tribal
Council. Giant sequoia management strategies, therefore,
involve providing both cultural and economic benefits to the
Reservation community.
‘Micro’ Forest Management
Although it is not Tribal custom to name and delineate
‘grove’ boundaries, the forest is broken into smaller aggregates, or ‘micro’ forests, each sharing one or several
common characteristics. For example, a 300-acre giant
sequoia forest may be further divided into smaller forests
of similar species composition, density, age class or a combination of these and other characteristics. These aggregates
are then mapped and the data entered into a geographic
information system (GIS) database and combined with other
resource information, such as cultural resources sites, soils,
and fuel loads, for developing management strategies on a
site specific basis.
Generally, giant sequoia management strategies include:
•Protecting the ancient giant sequoias and selected young
‘replacement’ trees •Maintaining esthetic and cultural values, particularly at
those sites identified by the Tribal Council
•Continuing to manage whitewood species for timber
production, with emphasis placed on removing dead, dying, and hazardous whitewoods •Creating conditions favorable for giant sequoia estab-
lishment and growth
•Reducing fuel loads within and adjacent to giant sequoia
management units
•Integrating young-growth giant sequoia as a mixed-
conifer timber component.
USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep.PSW-151. 1994
Observations following whitewood timber harvests in
the 1950's and 1960's and more recent trials suggest that
natural giant sequoia regeneration is best, and in many cases
prolific, where openings larger than 1/2 acre were created
and the surface of the ground was sufficiently disturbed to
expose mineral soil for seedling establishment. If giant sequoia
regeneration is a priority when planning a whitewood timber
sale, the group selection or similar site specific silvicultural
method is often applied.
When a light whitewood harvest has occurred, an understory of white fir and incense-cedar usually follows with
little or no sequoia establishment. Such silvicultural methods
as individual tree selection, intermediate thinning, and sanitation cuts on the associated whitewoods may promote growth
on younger sequoias and reduce fuel loads, but do little
to enhance sequoia establishment.
The Tribal Council is now concerned with the widespread mortality of whitewood species due to forest insect
infestation. The resultant build-up of hazardous aerial fuels
presents a significant fire hazard to the entire Reservation
forest. Timber sales are currently geared towards removing
dead, dying, and insect-infested whitewoods both within and
outside giant sequoia sites.
Where giant sequoia has naturally regenerated it usually
outgrows the other mixed-conifer species. Since these areas
are good growing sites they often support an overabundance of
young trees of all species. Overstocked 15-30 year old stands
are identified and considered for pre-commercial thinning
through the Tribe's forest improvement program. Improving
the mix of species and conditions for growth are important
goals of the pre-commercial thinning program.
USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep.PSW-151. 1994.
Giant sequoia is planted periodically with other conifer
seedlings. Successful plantings have been made outside
existing sequoia growing sites. Seedlings are purchased from
the California Department of Forestry nursery system. We
hope to begin collecting sequoia cones to eventually build a
Reservation seed bank.
Site preparation and ground fuel reduction is generally
accomplished by using mechanical and manual methods.
The Tribe can complete many of these tasks through timber
sale proceeds or contracts. Prescribed burning has been
used sparingly to date, primarily because of the narrow
burning window, high cost, and risk. Burning is being given
greater consideration, although it may have limitations when
managing for all-aged stands.
Conclusion
Our goal in managing the giant sequoia, as with each of
the conifer species, is to maintain a healthy mix of all ages
and sizes. The forest and Reservation community is
best served when a diverse selection of vigorous trees
is supported.
We have found that recreational opportunities for the
Reservation Community can be enhanced, cultural and
esthetic values of the forest maintained, and the Tribe's
financial security met through prudent forest management
strategies can enhance the health and vigor of the Tribe's
giant sequoia, as well as their mixed-conifer forest. Although
these objectives are inherently quite different, we have found
they are not mutually exclusive.
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