I have met and spent time with people from this organization and if you care about the redwoods, they care ten times more. They are like dotting parents to these magnificent trees. I have followed the money and it gets to where it needs to go. The people who work there not only do their jobs well, they are on a mission to protect and serve the redwood forests. Those of us who love the redwoods are very lucky to have such an organized and caring group of people getting the job done.
I was so happy to endorse this formerly fabulous charity. I am not doubting their official rating. What I must bring to the attention of the public & bring to the surface is their clearcutting of Sequoia Forests in 2021 & if you go to ILoveTrees.net you will find ghastly photos of truly ancient & very healthy Sequoias cut down. I was so utterly horrified that in good consciousness I can no longer donate to this hypocritical organization. You don't have to be an advocate for ancient trees, but certainly seeing the real pictures--the sight of the recent clear cutting, the road building & the murder of these very ancient trees especially after the 2000 fires that killed a full 15% of Sequoia in a forest is nothing short of callous insanity. The killing by human streamlined monstrosities-machinery of the ancient Sequoia that have already lived thousands of years & should live to be 5000 years old or more if not for something or some human coming along to end its life is nothing short of horrific & evil. What is it that makes this organization feel so superior that they can decide who lives & who dies? So I am adding photo proofs. In no way could I ever consent to such injustice. I cried my eyes out when I saw this. RIP dear ancient Sequoias.
I will try to keep this short and on-point. I first heard about SRL when I was a teenager; I'm now 66. I have donated to them now and then over the ensuing half-century, and have never regretted doing so. Every time we visit the North Coast, my wife and I see the results of our donations, and those of thousands of other people. We have walked in dozens of groves saved by the League. The League has bought thousands of acres of redwoods, and given them to CalParks, the NPS and other land managers so that those trees will live until they die as Mother Nature intends them to die. The League does not advocate in the Political Process: that is for other organizations, such as EarthJustice and the Natural Resources Council. It looks for land to buy and preserve, and it does a wonderful job of that.
Save the Redwoods League is an accredited land trust. Accreditation means Save the Redwoods League meets national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. Save the Redwoods League has demonstrated to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission its commitment to excellence. Accredited land trusts meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. These land trusts demonstrate their commitment to excellence by adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices, the ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust, and meeting the accreditation requirements drawn from them. Learn More: http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/about.
Review from Guidestar
At one time, Save the Redwoods League (SRL) was listed in my will--they were to inherit 25% of my estate upon my death. That was until I became involved in the effort to save Richardson Grove State Park in in Northern California (Humboldt County) from a destructive road project being proposed by Caltrans.
When I first joined the "Save Richardson Grove Coalition," I asked the group if they had contacted SRL about helping them in their efforts. They told me that SRL had ignored their concerns and was worthless in this effort.
I wrote many emails to SRL regarding my concerns over their lack of involvement in helping save Richardson Grove State Park and the old-growth redwoods. After some time, I finally received a response from SRL--basically, they told me they are not an "advocacy organization" and that their board had decided not to oppose the project because no old-growth redwoods would be cut down.
SRL's lack of involvement in the effort to save the old-growth redwoods that live in Richardson Grove State Park is difficult to fathom. And, regardless of whether old-growth redwoods will be cut down, their long-term health will be put in jeopardy by this project. Considering that only 2.5% of the old-growth redwood forests are protected (or so we thought), I do not believe we can risk the loss of 70+ plus old-growth redwoods for a road project.
I pointed out my concerns to SRL and said that, essentially, they had become an advocate for the road project, because the arborist they hired, Dennis Yniguez, who wrote a terribly weak and unscientific report, stated the impacts from the road project would not cause significant impacts, even though others in the fields of botany, horticulture and redwood science have stated that the project poses great threats to these trees. So, unbelievable as it may seem, SRL, which is supposed to be a charitable organization that saves redwood trees is, instead, advocating for a road project that could do irreparable harm to one of the last remaining stands of old-growth redwoods in California.
When I wrote a letter to SRL that I had met with my lawyer and spent nearly $200 dollars to remove SRL from my will, not one person from their organization contacted me to talk about this issue or showed any concern over my decision. It was as if they could care less what I thought or that I would take such drastic measures.
All I can say is that I am happy I discovered their true attitudes, intentions and motivaions before I died and left them 25% of my estate. In my opinion, a reporter needs to do some investigative reporting on Save the Redwoods League, as I smell a rat!
I recently had an opportunity to get to know the Save The Redwoods League and came away deeply impressed by their work. Not only are they dedicated (for almost a 100 years) to preserving one of our greatest natural resources, to increasing our understanding of this largest living thing, but they have expanded their work to study and preserve the full eco-system that supports these amazing trees. Take the time to enjoy their website. I preduict you will be inspired.