Sec. 102. Redwood National and State Parks restoration
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Congress finds that— Coast redwoods are an iconic California resource that represents the beauty and natural grandeur of the Golden State. These ancient redwood forests contain the tallest trees on Earth, which grow to be more than 3,500 years old. Redwood forests serve as the most effective forest-based carbon sink in the world, storing 3 times or more carbon per acre than any other forest ecosystem. Healthy old-growth redwood forests provide important ecological benefits, including clean air, habitat for special status plants and animals, and water resources that are critical to the health and sustainability of federally listed salmon fisheries.
Redwood forests are true wonders of the world, inspiring more than 31 million visitors every year in California’s redwood parks and supporting a multi-billion dollar outdoor recreation economy. The redwood forests of northern California are the ancestral home of several tribal nations, whose members use stewardship and natural resource management expertise to protect and restore these forestlands. After the 1849 Gold Rush, demand for lumber devastated ancient redwood forests and today only 5 percent of the original old-growth coast redwoods remain.
Redwood National and State Parks safeguard more than one-third of the world’s remaining old-growth coast redwood forests. These parks contain tens of thousands of acres of redwood forests that have been logged, and require innovative application of science and technology to improve forest stewardship and accelerate forest regeneration. Restoration of these forest ecosystems will hasten the return of healthy old-growth forests, while providing jobs in local communities and enhancing native habitat for numerous plant and animal species.
Redwood National and State Parks are partnering with nongovernmental organizations and tribes to restore these redwood forest ecosystems. Redwood forest restoration benefits the people of California for generations to come. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to undertake initiatives to restore degraded redwood forest ecosystems in Redwood National and State Parks in partnership with the State of California, local agencies, and nongovernmental organizations. In carrying out any initiative authorized by subsection (a), the Secretary of the Interior shall comply with all applicable law.