Some have survived for 3,000 years — now they're burning
Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Wildfires, fueled by climate change, put world's oldest trees at risk
------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
The Washburn Fire in Yosemite National Park, July 7, 2022. @YosemiteNPS ([link removed])
A wildfire, fueled by timber and brush, and exacerbated by the effects of climate change, is threatening centuries-old giant sequoia trees ([link removed]) in Yosemite National Park. Fire crews have set up sprinkler systems ([link removed]) around the "Grizzly Giant" to increase the humidity around one of the most iconic trees in the Mariposa Grove.
Giant sequoias are adapted to survive less intense fires, with thick bark that protects against flames. But as climate change has increased the severity and frequency of wildfires, the trees, which can grow for more than 3,000 years, are increasingly at risk.
According to the National Park Service, more than 85 percent of the acreage of giant sequoia groves ([link removed]) in the Sierra Nevada burned between 2015 and 2021. In the previous century, just 25 percent of that acreage was affected by wildfire.
Over the last two years, fires in Sequoia National Forest and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks have wiped out an estimated 13-15 percent of the world's sequoia population ([link removed]) .
As of Monday, the Washburn Fire in Yosemite had burned more than 2,700 acres ([link removed]) and was zero percent contained.
Quick hits
** Colorado farm stops growing food to save a shrinking water supply for neighboring farms
------------------------------------------------------------
CPR News ([link removed])
** Southern Arizona voters have a chance to create first citizen-initiated groundwater management area
------------------------------------------------------------
High Country News ([link removed])
** Yosemite wildfire threatens giant sequoia grove
------------------------------------------------------------
Los Angeles Times ([link removed]) | CBS News ([link removed]) | NPR News ([link removed]) | New York Times ([link removed]) | Washington Post ([link removed]) | The Guardian ([link removed])
** Opinion: It's time to finally protect Chaco Canyon
------------------------------------------------------------
Albuquerque Journal ([link removed])
** Haaland back on the Hill to defend budget, drilling plans
------------------------------------------------------------
E&E News ([link removed])
** Meet the billionaire blocking off Montana's wildlife
------------------------------------------------------------
The Guardian ([link removed])
** Countries now have first guidelines on how to put a value on nature
------------------------------------------------------------
Associated Press ([link removed])
** Nevada artists mobilize to protect Avi Kwa Ame as a national monument
------------------------------------------------------------
Hyperallergic ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” It’s critical that people remember our national parks are not zoos or amusement parks. They are real, wild ecosystems with animals that may look docile but can be extremely dangerous.”
—Outdoor guide Scott Cundy, to the Washington Post ([link removed]) , on the string of bison attacks in Yellowstone National Park
Picture this
** @mypubliclands ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to Arizona's Vermilion Cliffs National Monument! Here at White Pocket, you will discover awe-inspiring slickrock where windswept layers of orange, yellow, and white formations were created over time by mineral deposits and shaped by the elements. Please help preserve the geologic formations so that present and future generations can enjoy them today and for years to come.
📸 Courtesy of Elliot McGucken
============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Medium ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
Copyright © 2022 Center for Western Priorities, All rights reserved.
You've signed up to receive Look West updates.
Center for Western Priorities
1999 Broadway
Suite 520
Denver, CO 80202
USA
** View this on the web ([link removed])
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
