Muir Woods National Monument, California: Photography by Ray Rasmussen

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Conservation

Conserving wildlands has always been a tough go. Looking back to when this small preserve was established , no one could doubt the wisdom of those who went to the trouble to preserve Muir Woods for future generations. So why is it so difficult to look forward, to the needs of those who will come after us?

Little is left of the vast redwood stands that once covered much of the Northern coastal lands of California. Until the 1800's, many northern California coastal valleys were covered with coast redwood trees similar to those now found in Muir Woods National Monument. The forest along Redwood Creek in today's Muir Woods was spared from logging, in part, only because it was hard to get to. Noting that Redwood Creek contained one of the San Francisco Bay Area's last uncut stands of old-growth redwood, Congressman William Kent and his wife, Elizabeth Thacher Kent, bought 295 acres here for $45,000 in 1905. To protect the redwoods the Kents donated the land to the United States Federal Government and, in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt declared it a national monument. Roosevelt suggested naming the area after Kent, but Kent wanted it named for conservationist John Muir.

Please consider joining or donating funds to the conservation organizations that are working today for tomorrow's needs.