Legislation helps accelerate forest restoration and safeguard ancient groves

Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Save Our Sequoias Act (SOS Act), legislation introduced by Representatives Scott Peters (CA-50) and Vince Fong (CA-20) last year to protect California’s iconic Giant Sequoia groves from increasingly severe and catastrophic wildfires.

California’s giant sequoias are the largest trees on Earth and some of the oldest living things on the planet. However, they are at serious risk of disappearing from wildfire if urgent action is not taken.

A century of fire suppression and forest mismanagement has created dangerous fuel build-ups, turning today’s increasingly intense wildfires into a deadly threat for sequoias. In just the last few years, nearly 20% of the world’s giant sequoias have been lost to catastrophic wildfire, putting the future of these irreplaceable groves in jeopardy.

Giant sequoias are found in 70 groves across 37,000 acres in California, where nearly one-fifth have been destroyed since 2015. Without faster, proactive forest restoration, more of these ancient trees will be lost.

The Save Our Sequoias Act addresses this crisis by improving coordination among federal agencies and local partners and helping prioritize science-based forest management strategies, including fuel reduction and habitat restoration projects in and around sequoia groves. The legislation will help federal, state, tribal, and local land managers accelerate critical forest restoration projects and strengthen the resilience of sequoia groves.

“California’s giant sequoias are the largest trees on Earth and among our most irreplaceable natural treasures, but catastrophic wildfires are wiping out groves that have stood for thousands of years,” said Rep. Peters. “The Save Our Sequoias Act would reduce dangerous fuel buildup, protect wildlife habitat, and cut through red tape so that paperwork doesn’t get in the way of saving these ancient trees.”

“By passing my Save our Sequoias Act, the House has taken much-needed action to protect our ancient Sequoia groves in the Central Valley and return resilience to our forests,” said Rep. Fong. “Our iconic Giant Sequoias are a true national treasure - we cannot afford to let burdensome regulations prevent us from safeguarding them. I thank my colleagues for supporting this important bipartisan bill and am hopeful the Senate will soon act so we can ensure California’s remaining Sequoias endure for generations to come.”

“Catastrophic wildfires fueled by decades of inadequate forest management have put the survival of Giant Sequoias in danger. The Save Our Sequoias Act provides plans and resources to ensure the survival of this iconic American tree. I look forward to working with the bipartisan champions of the SOS Act to get this important legislation to the President’s desk and signed into law,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman.

With House passage secured, the Save Our Sequoias Act now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Background:

Several community partners have announced their support for this crucial piece of legislation, including Save the Redwoods League and the Tule River Tribe.

Representative Peters originally introduced the SOS Act in 2022 with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Chairman Westerman, and again in 2023.

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