New State Redwood Reserve Created

Save the Redwoods League
Friday, 2 November 2001

Save-the-Redwoods League Pioneer John B. DeWitt honored

Save-the-Redwoods League is pleased to announce the creation of the John B. DeWitt State Redwood Reserve. Designated by the California State Park and Recreation Commission on October 26, the new 578-acre redwood reserve is located immediately west of the small Southern Humboldt County town of Redway, and is named to honor John B. Dewitt, Secretary and Executive Director of Save-the-Redwoods League from 1971 to 1995. The stand of massive, towering, ancient redwoods on the South Fork of the Eel River is easily accessible via a detour of less than ten minutes from Highway 101.

John B. Dewitt is a name synonymous with the highest quality contribution to redwood park preservation over a distinguished career of public and private/non-profit service from 1960 until his death in 1996, helping to secure more than $65 million in donations used to acquire 30,000 acres of park lands in Northern and Central California. As Secretary and Executive Director of Save-the-Redwoods League, Mr. Dewitt was committed to rescuing the ancient redwood forests from destruction. The volume he wrote, "California Redwood Parks and Preserves" describing the redwood parks of California, remains a compelling introduction to the redwood forest and its stewardship by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. In 1995 Mr. Dewitt was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the California State Park System as the first recipient of the California State Park Partnership Award. The State Reserve named in his honor comprises the 578 - acre Holbrook and Whittemore Redwood Groves. Fittingly, this land became part of the Redwoods State Park system during Mr. Dewitt's leadership of the League.

Also designated by the Commission last month is the Carl "A" Anderson Nature Preserve, a 3,520 acre portion of the Humboldt Redwoods State Park containing portions of some of the most pristine redwood forest habitat still in existence, named to honor the late Mr. Anderson. During his 38 years of work at the Park, as Park Manager and as Deputy State Park Director, Mr. Anderson's dedication to introducing the public to the mysteries and beauty of the redwood forest was a model for generations of Rangers. After his retirement from the Park Service in 1985, he was active as a Councillor for Save-the-Redwoods League, continuing to protect and preserve the redwoods as a private citizen. He dedicated many hours to showing groves in the parks to prospective donors and was a tireless representative of the League's interests at innumerable meetings in northern California. The Carl "A" Anderson Nature Preserve lies within an area located south of the northern park boundary, and east of the South Fork Eel River.

Humboldt Redwood State Park, created in 1921, has grown to include nearly 60,000 acres of majestic ancient redwood lands, the vast majority of which were protected with the instrumentality of Save-the-Redwoods League.

Since 1918, Save-the-Redwoods League, a non-profit organization, has worked to protect California's primeval forests from destruction by including them in parks and reserves. To date, the League has assisted in preserving over 140,000 acres of forest lands in California.

For more information, or to contact Save the Redwoods League, see their website at: www.savetheredwoods.org