Headwaters Forest Reserve Fortuna is the gateway to the redwoods of Northern California, and one of the most famous groves is a 3,000 acre (1,214 hectare) undeveloped area called Headwaters Forest Reserve. This untouched old growth redwood grove near Fortuna contains the world's most spectacular ancient trees. Some are 300 feet high and 2,200 years old. The redwood groves are also the home of several hundred species of companion plants and animals. The acquisition of the Headwaters Forest Reserve brings the public a piece of California history. The forest was a focal point of the largest environmental movement in recent years and is now owned by the Federal government.
On March 1, 1999, the Bureau of Land Management and the state of California acquired the Headwaters Forest Reserve and surrounding lands totaling 7,400 acres in central Humboldt County from the Pacific Lumber Company. These newly acquired public lands are co-rnanaged by the Bureau of Land Management and the California Department of Fish and Game to protect the ecological and wildlife values, particularly the old-growth redwoods that provide habitat for the threatened seabird, the Marbled Murrelet. The forest also protects the headwaters of the several major stream systems in the Reserve that provide habitat for the threatened Coho Salmon and other fish. |
